Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?
by Airame Phantom
Summary: The trio is blamed for another food fight, having to now help build a haunted house for Casper High's annual Halloween dance. Then Mikey goes missing, they get locked in a broom closet, everyone goes home, and there's something not letting Danny go ghost!
1. Blown Off

A/N: So late, so late, so late! Gah! I was supposed to have started this in the beginning of October to give myself time, but no! I totally forgot all about it! This is in dedication to Halloween! The last chapter, (probably number 10) will be posted on the day right before the 21, or that very morning! I'll decide! But man! I'm so LATE!**

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

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Cheering can be heard all over the background as the battle goes on. In the 'battle field'. a war is raged between two bots: both are about one foot high. But one of them looks way more high-tech with a sleek and slim build. The other looks a little bulky, but looks like the build is secure and it's ready for action!

Around the sides of the 'battle field' are the crowds and two very determined and focus looking faces. One looks like any other geek, large glasses upon his nose and red, longish hair hanging over his ears. His slightly crooked teeth were bared and clenched as the controller in his hand was being attacked his thumbs. His name is Mikey Sullivan.

The other teen bit his tongue as beads of sweat rolled down his face. It has been a rather interesting battle seeing as the robots are probably equally matched. His red beret covers the dark-skinned boy's head and his half-moon glasses give him an almost smart kind of look. In his hands is also a controller, the levers and buttons being clicked away as multiple weapons of hammers and jabbing spears are used to pound at the enemy. This boy's name is Tucker Foley. And this, my friends, is the 'Annual Bot-out', which is both ironic and a play on words. The contest is supposed to be a supposed fundraiser for the school, but it never gets 'bot' out and the place is usually only about half-filled with students.

But among these students, who are mostly only there to take bets and compete, are some friends of the competitors to cheer on their comrades. Two of these are Samantha Manson and Daniel Fenton, better known as Sam and Danny, or the lovebirds.

"Come on, Tucker!" Sam shouts, cupping her hands around her mouth. She brushes back a lock of black hair behind her ears and watches as her friend continues on.

"You can do it!" Danny shouts, adding to the encouragement. His blue eyes shift over to Mikey. The boy looks like he's having a hard time with Tucker's bot, but there's a glint in his eyes that says he's got something up his sleeve. Danny doesn't exactly like that look.

Then, Mikey grins, a smirk really, and presses a small, reddish button on his controlling. Teeth clenched, Danny's eyes shift back towards the battle.

He knew something was up!

Catching everyone off-guard, mainly Tucker, Mikey's bot, reasonably named Sneak, stops and begins to change form! Tucker stops his robot and watches in awe as Sneak comes up to it's length size and cords of some sort begin to come out from the sides before it literally drops dead ontop of Tucker's bot!

"What the-!" But Tucker doesn't get any further than that as the cords seem to connect to all the batteries of Tucker's bot. Then, Sneak rolls off of his opponent and rides away. Tucker tries to press his bot further, but to no avail. It was dead, just like that.

"And it seems that Tucker's bot has been left...without any battery power! Sneak wins!" comes the voice over the intercom. People rush towards Mikey, others frown and pay up the bets they made.

Tucker stands there, still in shock of what had just happened. He finally closed his gawking jaw and sighs.

"It was a good fight, Tuck," says Sam, coming up next to the boy and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Tucker smiled thinly.

"Yeah, you did great," Danny added.

"Thanks guys," Tucker mumbled. He sighed again and walks away and over to his robot, picking it up and putting it beneath his arm along with the controller. He looked towards Mikey and saw the announcer guy giving him the small gold trophy. There was only a prize for the winner, and that was Mikey.

As the crowd walks away from Mikey and the cheering dies down, the red-haired teen walks over to his own robot, picking it up.

Tucker approaches him and extends a hand towards him. "Good fight," Tucker said, smiling.

Mikey stares at him, then looks down at his hand. He smirks and says, "Better for me." With that, he turns smartly on his heel and walks out the door, nose in the air.

Tucker blinks, his face once again gawking.

He couldn't believe he just got blown off...

By a geek even more geekier than him!

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E/N: Yes, first chapter is sucky,I'll get the second one up in a jiffy! Oh, and sorry but this story will be taking up a lot of my time so, my other stories may not get up-dated very much if at all this month. Sorry guys! 

--Airamé Phantom


	2. Tough Competition

A/N: A little late with the seond chappie, but here it is! Enjoy!**

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Two**

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Next day. Beginning of lunch time.

Tucker walked silently behind his two friends as they tried to pick up a conversation they had started the day before. The bell had just rung for lunch time, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for antyhing. Especially talking about Mikey.

"He's such a snob, I swear," Sam murmured, gripping the purple straps of her spider backpack.

"No kidding," Danny agreed. "I always thought he was kind of...conceited, but not shaking you hand was rough, Tuck."

No response.

"Tucker?" Danny asked, looking back. He stopped and sighed. Sam stopped too.

"What?" she asked. Danny merely pointed at Tucker. Sam looked in that direction and also sighed.

Tucker had stopped right in front of the Auto Body Shop Class. It's door was open, and he could plainly see inside. His mouth was open, his jaw dropped and his eyes pratcically went goo-goo ga-ga. Just as expected from Tucker in a classroom like that. He'd tried to switch into that class like forty-seven times that same year.

"What is it?" Sam asked, putting her hands on her hips. Tucker had never done that before though by just staring inside.

Danny shrugged one shoulder and walked over to Tucker. He waved a hand in front of his face, then stood perfectly next to him as he put a hand slightly behind his bared neck and allowed a small amount of cold energy to seep through in a ghostly blue glow.

"Gah!" Tucker screamed as he felt shivers run down his back, spreading across his body. Danny chuckled. Tucker glared at him, his shoulders shivering and rubbing his hands together. "I h-hate y-your new p-powers." Tucker scowled.

Danny grinned sheepishly. "Well, you blanked out on us, what's the big deal?" he asked.

Tucker pointed a quivering hand into the classroom. Sam came over to stand next to the two boys and also looked inside.

Inside the clasroom, were new parts of machinery. There were bags of memory cards, bags of bolts, nuts, washers, screws, screw drivers, the works. Even pipes and tubes and a whole bunch of otehr thing slike thin metal plates and what looked like hinges. There were loads of them all oraganized against one wall.

"What's all this stuff for?" Sam asked.

"The Annual Casper High Halloween Haunted House," Tucker explained. "All of this," Tucker put his arms in the air, signfying the metal parts, "is gonna be used to build robots that can be controlled from some secret location in the school. If you ask me, I think it's the office. It's the place with all the bell systems, computer mainframes, and everything."

"You really looked into all of this, huh?" Danny asked. Tucker nodded and grinned.

"Better yet, it's all gonna be put together by the very students! The principal's gonna choose the top student in this stuff to control everything! I so want to be that person!" he said.

"Then why can't you be?" Sam asked then, looking at the boy. "You know all there is to know. I think it's possible."

Tucker side-grinned. "Thanks, but I think I've got some really tough competition," Tucker mumbled.

"Meaning?" Danny asked as they began to make their way towards the cafeteria.

"Mikey Sullivan."

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E/N: Next chappie should be up tomorrow if not Thursday! I got a science project due Friday, so it'll probably be tomorrow! Sorry for the shortness! 

--Airamé Phantom


	3. Mikey Sullivan!

A/N: Wuaha! Up-date!

XD

Enjoy!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Three**

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"Food Fight!" came the call. As if on cue, everyone in the whole cafeteria except for some who had hid behind over turned tables, began to toss food around. Milk cartons went flying through the air, spilling their contents over whoever was unlucky enough to be beneath it's flight pattern. Fries, slosh, what look like sloppy Joe's, everything! If they didn't know better, it'd be almost a majestic kind of thing.

"Food fight?.!" shouted Danny, Tucker, and Sam all at once as they had barely taken a step into the cafeteria.

The lunch ladies, having not seen who had shouted the cue before, now turned to the trio of friends as they tried to dodge food particles and clumps.

"Hey!" Tucker shouted as a milk carton layered his red beret in chocolate milk.

"Ah!" Sam shrieked as a clump of sloppy Joe's came colliding with her bared stomach. She scraped up the food sliding down her skirt and shouted, "Who threw that?"

Sliding off to one side, she vanished behind the frenzy of food throwing hooligans. Tucker also vanished from Danny's side, leaving the boy open for fire!

"Hey, Fenton! Catch!" shouted the annoying voice of no one other than Dash Baxter.

"What?" Danny asked, but got no further into his arguement as food came crashing into him.

"That's it!" he shouted and picked himself up from where he'd been knocked down. He clutched a handful of random, mushed up food and got ready to throw it right back to Dash. he brought his arm up and behind him and was about to throw only to find that another hand had clutched his wrist.

"Mr. Fenton! Drop that food!" commanded the stern voice of his English teacher Mr. Lancer. Danny froze and noticed everyone in the cafeteria freeze and drop the food in their hands. He gulped.

Danny looked behind him, leaning his head back. The seemingly upside down face of Mr. Lancer caught his eye and Danny loosen his grip on the food in his hand, making it drop down to the ground with a soft 'splat!' sound.

"Who are responsible for this mess?.!" Lancer shouted.

The lunch lady, who somehow had managed to sneak into the food fight and not get dirty while doing so, came out of the crowd with two teens held by their shirts in one fist.

Sam stood there, something that looked like ketchup on her hair -- which was a mess -- and her arms crossed over her chest, an angry scowl plastered onto her face. And Tucker stood there also, a grimace on his face, his red beret in hand, which he liesurely twisted as milk dropped down to the floor. No way he was putting THAT back on his head. Danny also noticed that his glasses were missing. Wonder where they went...

"Mr. Foley, Ms. Manson, and Mr. Fenton," Lancer said, scowling at each as he named them. "You're all going to clean up this mess. And after you're done, I demand to see you in my office for punishment."

All three of them started to argue at once.

"It wasn't our fault!"

"We didn't start it!"

"We got stuff to do!"

"There's a test next period!"

"I demand a lawyer!"

At this, everyone stared at Tucker. The boy opened one eye, then the other. Everyone stared questioningly at him.

"What?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. "This is a violation of my rights!"

"Tucker, this doesn't have anything to do with your rights," Danny said.

"Ever heard of 'Innocent until proven guilty'?" Sam asked. "This has a lot to do with his rights."

"Really? Maybe I should have paid more attention in Government class..." Danny murmured.

"would you three please be quiet!" Lancer shouted then. They all stared at him.

Thgen a thought caught Danny's attention. "Hey, Mr. Lancer?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Fenton?" Lancer said.

"Can you let my wrist go? My shoulder's beginning to ache."

"Oh, right, well, everyone go back to class!" Lancer shouted. The lunch lady unhanded Tucker and Sam as Lancer let go of Danny's wrist. "And you three," Lacer said. "You three follow me to my office. you'll clean this up later..."

The trio shared a glance, but obeyed.

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"You're kidding me!"

"We don't know anything about this kind of stuff!"

Danny and Sam argued with Mr. Lancer, who only sat there listening with a patient expression. That could only mean one thing: there was no changing his mind.

Sam and Danny sighed, sitting abck in their seats and wondering what they were going to do now...

"Anything to say on your behalf, Mr. Foley?" Lancer asked. The boy had been silent all throughout the lecture.

"Nothing else can ruin ym day, Mr Lancer," the teen replied solemnly.

"Who are we going to be partnered with?" Sam asked then.

Their punishment was to help some kid build the bots for the haunted house thing on Friday. Four days jammed in the Auto Body Shop Class with a bunch of mechanical parts and screws as their companions. At least they were in this together. Tucker didn't seem too unhappy though.

Now all they neeeded to know was the person they'd be helping.

"Mr. Sullivan, please come in," Lancer said. All three teens sat up straight in their seats and stared at the door anxiously.

The door opened and a perosn stepped in dressed in kahki-colored pants that were too short for him and a tucked in white dress shirt. Black-framed, square glasses sat on his nose, magnifying some of the freckles upon his cheeks. His red hair was neatly combed except for a couple of locks that stuck up behind his head.

And Tucker felt like he would puke; Sam put her head in her hands and cursed silently; and Danny slumped back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"Mr. Fenton, Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley, please meet your partner, **_Mikey Sullivan_**."

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E/N: Next chappie'll probably be up next week or on the weekend late that night!

There's some stupid girl that wants to get down with my friend at school and you know that they say! 'Once you mess with one lo**_z_**er, hell, you mess with them all!"

In truth, my sister and I just wanna make sure things are fair! -cracks knuckles- but man, I wanna get to pop her right in the jaw!

Well, night guyzes!

Oh, and for those of you who may not know what 'get down' means, it means fight. So yeah...not many people say it the supposed 'ghetto' way...I don't see what's so ghetto about it...

--Airamé Phantom


	4. Plan

A/N: I'm already falling behind! Oh man! Here's your up-date!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Four**

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"No way!" Tucker said, pointing at Mikey and standing up from his seat, the nausea still in his stomach. Mikey stuck his nose in the air and turned his face away from the trio. He crossed his arms and made a 'hmph' kind of sound.

Sam, catching note of this, stood up, hands fists. "You got something to say?" she questioned harshly. She'd been pretty mad before, and now it seemed her anger was at it's boiling point.

"Sam, come on," Danny said, standing and standing in front of her, cutting her view of Mikey. He grabbed her wrists and dared her to look him in the eye. "We're in enough trouble as it is," he said through clenched teeth. He didn't want to be partnered with Mikey just as much as she did, but he also didn't want to make things worst by saying something harsh about it. And though he wished he could, he had to stop all the nasty words dying to leave his lips.

Lancer only stared at all of them, hands laced together, elbows on his desk.

"Listen to your boyfriend, you don't want to get into any more trouble, Samantha," Mikey sneered, smirking broadly.

"Samantha!" Sam challenged him to say it again. She pointed a finger at him and began to move forward, but Danny grasped her arms.

"Sam!" he exclaimed.

Tucker was trying to keep up with all this. "I'm not going to spend four days building dumb robots with him!" he said.

"You narcissistic, four-eyed, smart allecky, little-" Sam started, but being able to get out of Danny's hold. Her words, fortunately, were cut off by Lancer.

"Enough!" he said, his face tomato-red. "You're all going to work together on this like it or not! And if I don't see an improvement on your teamwork and social skills _**and**_ if I see that this year's Haunted House is not at its best, then you will **_all_** get detention!"

Everyone stared at him. Danny still held Sam's arms; Tucker still pointed at Mikey; and Mikey still had his face turned away, eyeing them all from the corner of his eye. But they all stared at the red-faced teacher.

Lancer stood and slammed a fist down on his desk. "I want to see you all tomorrow after school in the Auto Shop Class. Understand?"

"Yes," they chorused.

"Good, I'll see to it you do," Lancer said. "Now, off to your classes."

The teens glared at each other, then pushed and shoved their way out the door.

Lancer sighed and massaged his temples.

This was going to be one _**long**_ four days...

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Later after school...

"God, I can't believe this!" Sam exclaimed into her black phone. She lay on her bed on her back, glaring at the ceiling.

"Of all people!" Danny added. He murmured something incoherent and sighed.

"I don't like this, guys," Tucker mumbled. "Why do these things always happen to us?"

"I think we're jinxed," Sam said. "I mean, it's like every time something happens at school, we're **_always _**blamed. It's some sort of...order or something."

"Think there's anyone behind this whole thing?" Danny asked.

"Doubt it," Sam said, and sighed. "But I'd better start on my stupid math homework. Mr. Folluka's really trying us this time."

"No kidding," Danny agreed.

"I'll talk to you guys later," Sam said.

_click._

_click._

Danny took the phone down from his air and pressed the small 'off' button. He set it on his desk and just looked around his room from his position on his bed. Was there someone behind this? When something like this happens, it was usually part of some sort of diabolical plan.

A shiver suddenly ran down his spine. He waited for his ghost sense or something, but it never came. Arching an eye brow, the boy sighed again and stood. "Wouldn't be surprised..." he murmured.

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E/N: No time; no time! Gosh! So behind!

--Airamé Phantom


	5. Bad Idea

A/N: Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! Here's your next chap! I won't be up-dating much on weekends like I used to when I seriously enjoyed writing a story 'cause now I got a job...but anywho!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Five**

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Next day. After school. 

"These are all the parts you will be needing for the building of the robots. The decorations that will be put up are all in the Art room. I will get a few students to bring them over as soon as possible. We're also going to be using the electronics to be put into the lockers that are not in use to 'scare' the students taking part in the dance. Ultra-violet lighting will be used in the dead end halls. And Miss Manson?"

Lancer looked at the scowling black-haired girl. "I trust that you will keep everything in order?"

"Whatever," she murmured and turned away. They - Lancer, Mikey, Tucker, Sam and Danny - all stood in the Auto Body Shop Class with all the mechanical parts littered around them. Mikey had gotten a few things ready already without them. The trio didn't really care, they just wanted the three hours they had to be over with and quick.

"I'll be in my office grading papers if anyone needs me. I hope you all get along long enough to get through the week alive and sound," Lancer said then, and walked out the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Mikey made a 'hmph' sound and walked over to the parts he'd separated from the others. The trio looked at him, then sighed.

"So what do we do now seeing as the red-head over there doesn't really seem to be paying any attention to us," Sam said, making sure she was speaking loud enough for Mikey to hear. The teen only went on putting together the robotic parts as if it were a jigsaw puzzle.

"We get to work too," Tucker said simply. "I know you guys don't really know anything about this stuff, but I can tell you pretty much what to do if you get stuck."

"Oh trust me, that's going to happen A LOT!" Sam said.

"Can we just get this over with?" Danny asked then. "The more time I spend in here, the more I feel like this is part of..." He eyed Mikey, then leaned in to whisper, "some sort of secret plan by Vlad or something."

"Don't be so paranoid," Sam said. She looked at the opposite wall where all the parts are stacked. She frowned. "But I guess we should start getting this over with."

"Okay then! Let's get started!" Tucker said and walked over to all the complicated jigsaw pieces. Danny and Sam slumped their shoulders and followed half-heartedly. It was amazing how enthusiastic he was acting now when just before he'd been probably one of the silently cursing ones among the ground. Then again, it seemed they all were silently cursing in their heads.

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Two hours later much progress seemed to have been made. No mater how boring this was, Danny had to admit, it was pretty interesting when everything else you had to think about was knowing you had to fight some ghost and not being able to sneak off to do so. 

But the most interesting event was when Mikey...well, let's just say it was a mistake...

"Hey, Danny, can you hand me that...square thingy?" Sam asked, pointing at a memory card, a confused and thoughtful look on her face.

" 'square thingy' ?" Danny asked, laughing.

"Oh, ha, ha, you didn't even know the difference between the arm of the robot and the leg," Sam said. Danny rolled his eyes and stood up from where he was kneeling before a half-finished bot.

He grabbed one of the memory cards and then glanced at what Mikey was doing. He'd successfully finished about four bots and was going on to finish his fifth. Danny was a little surprised at how fast the boy's hand were moving the pieces of technology into place expertly. It had taken him and Sam nearly an hour to finish their first bot: and they'd been working together!

Then Mikey stopped. He'd connected several 'memory' wires into the bot's head where it's 'brain' was situated. It was really just a bundle of wires that were connected to many different chips that were for either speech, movement, and the chips that connected it to the mainframe computer through...

Danny racked at his brain for the words Tucker had used. But he just couldn't remember them. Or rather he didn't want to because the last time he tried repeating them, his brain had begun to hurt. Shaking his head, the boy watched as Mikey, a blue and yellow wire in hand, looked around, spreading the different labeled chips, as if looking for a specific one.

"Need some help?" Danny asked before he could stop himself. Okay, so maybe he didn't know those extremely long words that Mikey and Tucker did, but he knew red from green and blue from yellow and where the different wires went. Well, mostly.

Mikey gave him a semi-glare mixed with a 'get lost' look. Danny arched and eye brow and turned around to go back to sit down. Mikey reached for the card he'd been looking for. "Sheesh," Danny murmured as he took a seat by Sam.

"What?" Sam asked, taking the memory card from him and beginning to connect it with the needed wires.

"Mikey's still being a snob..." Danny murmured.

Tucker looked up from what he was doing, glanced at his friends, then looked at Mikey. He could see from the angle that he was sitting in what card Mikey was about to put in, and his eyes widened. "Mikey! That's the wrong card!" he shouted suddenly.

Mikey stopped and looked back at them and glared. "I know what I'm doing!" he shouted.

Tucker stood up and began to walk towards the boy, simultaneously saying, "No! If you put that card in, then-"

Mikey didn't listen he connected the car din quickly as Tucker rushed towards the teen. "Just watch! Nothing's gonna happen!" Mikey insisted as he reached for a small control to turn on the robots. "No!" Tucker shouted. Danny and Sam stood up and looked on through wide eyes. They didn't know what was going on, but they knew it was bad. Danny grabbed onto to Sam's hand, ready to turn them intangible if need be.

Mikey pressed the 'on' button on the control and the part of the bot connected to the head began to tremble, as if beginning to move. But something was wrong.

"You just miscalibrated the system! One single mistake could ruin the whole thing by sending out the wrong radio waves!" Tucker shouted. He grabbed hold of Mikey's arm, beginning to pull him away from the bot, but Mikey was stronger than he looked and stood his ground.

"Turn it off now!" Danny tried to reason as near them some of the newly built bots began to tremble as well. Sam's grip tightened on his hand and Danny feared he'd have to reveal his secret here and now to save them should something happen. Sam leaned close to him and whispered, "Freeze it! Freeze the memory cards! That should do it!"

"Give me the control, Mikey!" Tucker shouted. The robots all around them began to rise, their heads literally spinning.

Danny looked at the two techno-geeks fighting over the remote and bit his lower lip. He lifted a hand and pointed towards the control with a couple of fingers. Concentrating greatly, the teen's eyes glowed a light, ice-blue color as invisible freezing energy made it's way towards the control.

Danny still didn't quite understand how this particular power worked. it was like ultra-violet light, but with ice. He could see where the energy was going, as if it were part of him. And he could control it through any situation: whether it be to freeze a certain micro-chip, or to pick a type of lock. All he did know, however, was that this called for desperate measures: he hadn't a choice.

Unbeknownst to either Tucker of Mikey, the chips in the control slowly froze. The bots mumbled incoherent words before falling right on the spot. The control fell from Mikey's hand in surprise, and fell to the floor, splitting into different small pieces of machinery!

Danny heaved a sigh of relief as the bots calmed and turned off. Tucker stopped fighting for the remote, and Mikey merely stared on in disbelief.

Then, without any warning, the volcano erupted. Mikey grumbled on and on and on about something the trio didn't bother to listen too. Well, sort of.

"You're all such...such...!" Mikey started, not able to get the words out. "Gah! I give up! You're all hopeless!" He threw his arms in the air and stormed out the open door just as Lancer was coming in, looking surprise.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked at him and grinned sheepishly.

"Maybe pairing all of you together **_was _**a bad idea," the teacher mumbled and sighed.

The teens only shared a glance and continued to grin. This was quite the scene...

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E/N: This plot is going along faster than I expected... 

Yes, this chappie's a little uneventful except for the event at the end.

--Airamé Phantom


	6. Snotface, Snothead

A/N: So behind!! So behind!!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Five**

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"Hey, Danny, a little help?" Sam asked, trying to reach the top of the doorframe to put up some of the decorations they'd been given. It was a simple ultra-violet lamp. It looked like a half-tube with a bulb inside. Actually, that WAS all it really was. Nothing special about it. 

Anyway, it's been four days and they finally got everything settled. Lancer had decided to just leave Mikey to work on the robots, and the others to work on the smaller technicalities: decorations and to clean up the Janitor's Closet so they can put some scary stuff in there too.

All in all, not having Mikey to deal with made this kind of fun. Which was why they weren't going to join in with the fun of scaring the students and whatnot. Nope. They were gonna stand at the front of the school taking tickets from those who bought them to come to the dance and haunted house. That was gonna be soooo much fun...

But they had to admit, at least Mikey wasn't gonna be there: big plus! And _**that**_ was not sarcasm.

"Sure," Danny mumbled, coming over and handing her a chair to stand on. Sam lifted one combat boot onto the seat-part and then the other. She held onto Danny's shoulder as she did so until she was balanced. "Okay..." she murmured quietly, then let go and went back to putting up the lamp above the door frame. The chair was a little faulty, so he had to hold it still, looking up at what

Tucker snickered. "Try not to look up her skirt, Danny," he murmured quietly into his friends ear. Danny's face turned red as a warm flow of blood rushed to his face.

_Ah, such a satisfying blush... _Tucker thought deviously.

Danny glared at him and whispered harshly, "You are so dead after this."

Tucker smirked more broadly at this. Sam, meanwhile, looked down at them suspiciously. What were they whispering about. She finished putting up the lamp and prepared to get back down to solid, unmoving ground. Putting a hand back on Danny's shoulder, she lowered one combat boot to the ground.

"Hey, Fent-erd!" shouted an annoying voice.

The surprise of that, sent Sam off-balance. And of course, Danny was the only thing she could hold on to. But to make things worst, Danny lost his grip on the chair. The chair, being a little faulty, skidded slightly, but not before shifting from side to side and Sam tried to grasp something to keep herself from falling. Alas, she grasped Danny shoulders. The chair slid across the floor, causing her to fall forward. Danny, being in some state of shock of what was happening, had no balance to back him up. So, as you can see from this extremely long description, Sam fell forward, grasping Danny's shoulders. Danny fell backward into the side of where the row of lockers began. Sam found herself coming face-to-face with a very red-cheeked boy pressed against the side of the lockers. She was well-aware of the closeness of their faces, and the fact she was pushed up against him.

_Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god..._

Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink, then red. I can say nothing less for Danny except for the fact his blue eyes were wide with shock and confusion while Sam's own violet eyes were trying to figure out what to do now because of their awkward position.

"Are you guys okay?" Tucker's voice asked. But the teens didn't respond.

"Oooooo!" cooed another annoying voice. Sam turned her head towards the sound quickly. All Danny did was shift his eyes towards the people standing there. Paulina, Star, and Dash. Paulina was obviously the one who had cooed oh so childishly.

"You two make a tomato feel ashamed of its color!" Star joked, laughing that annoying giggle of hers. Paulina's eyes smirked along with her red-painted lips.

"Yeah, I'm sure you two freaks would have dressed up as prince and princess if only you were allowed to go to the dance"! she added. A lame addition, but it made things all the more worst.

Sam and Danny shared a glance before quickly separating and trying to get the redness of their cheeks to go away. Or at least make it seem like nothing had happened.

"I hope you guys get the snot scared out of you," Sam snarled.

Danny only shifted his eyes to the ground nervously, his hand sub-consciously rubbing his neck. He bit his lower lip and tried not to make any eye contact. Sam always was able to make things seem casual and not awkward. But he knew she was feeling the same thing he was. And he was feeling butterflies in his stomach. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but he sure it wouldn't be the last either.

"Things can happen when the only light is black," Sam said. She narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunate things."

Paulina and Star looked at her with confused and bewildered looks.

"Hah!" Dash shouted. "You can't scare us!" He jerked his thumb at his chest for a little more emphasis. Sam smirked and said smugly, "We'll see come tomorrow. Dance is at 8. Be there, or be _**scared**_."

Dash narrowed his eyes.

Tucker figured that if this were a cartoon, this would be one of those parts where either the character's eyes would look like they're shooting electric bolts at each other, when the screens narrows down to focus on their eyes. "Oh-kay!" Tucker finally said. "Let's break it up, ay, guys? Don't want any trouble." He got in the middle of the two teenagers. "Besides," he said, beginning to turn Sam around and pushing her away from the other trio of popular friends. "We got a lot of work left to do."

Sam grumbled on about something and Danny followed silently.

* * *

E/N: I just noticed we can over-punctuate now!!!! 

--Airamé Phantom


	7. It Will Be

A/N: Up-date!!!! Man, I'm so late! There's gonna be like five more chappies, maybe! So late!!!

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Seven**

* * *

Tucker sighed as he took the ticket from one girl dressed up as a ragdoll with an axe in her hand. Sam exchanged a few words with the girl. The girl giggled and grinned at Sam,. Her white-painted face made her look almost maniacal. Sam grinned. The girl walked inside. 

"What was that all about?" Tucker asked. Sam only shrugged one shoulder. Tucker glanced at Danny who was also taking tickets and allowing passage into the dark school. Scary Halloween music played in the background. Loud, piercing sounds and what sounded like blades being sharpened every now and then. Tucker had just come out from inside, and he was freaked. They couldn't predict what kind of things the bots would do because they were just that: unpredictable. They were working on what Mikey's mind was making up.

Speaking of Mikey, they hadn't seen him at all that night. Tucker looked at the dark sky. It was nearly eight-thirty, he guessed. He looked in front of him, away from the star-filled sky and the full moon.

"Have fun," he said, forcing a grin as another student progressed into the building. Screams rang out from inside and a couple of girls outside screamed too. Tucker noticed the grin on Danny's face when that happened. He shook his head. This was gonna be fun, he murmured.

Well, it would have been if Paulina, Dash, and Star weren't the last ones in the line. As the other students in line passed, Danny, Tucker, and Sam got in front of the entrance, arms crossed over their chests, glaring at the three teens now before them. Danny recognized Dash's costume right away. It was the same thing he'd worn the year before when he had to make the haunted house on Maple Street. Just thinking about it made Danny's throat feel dry. Let's just say that salt and pepper doesn't change the fact eating underwear is gonna be disgusting.

Paulina and Star were dressed similar. Both were some type of princess, Danny guessed. Except for the fact that Paulina seemed to have...did some finish touches on her costume. She looked more like a fairy without wings. The hems of the skirt were jagged, though, making it look a little scraggly but still nice.

Sam scowled at all the pink though. Star's costume was blue, but Paulina's was pink. She mentally gagged. "Ready?" she asked, her voice as casual as ever. Her face also turned into an emotionless mask of confidence.

Dash grinned. "You bet!" he said. "But unless this thing actually gets us scared, you three are going to be in a load of trouble." He broadened his smirk and buried one fist into the palm of the other hand, signifying their faces and his fist.

"Oh, we're sure you'll be frightened," Sam said.

"We really out-did ourselves," Danny added. His and Sam's voice held a bit of sarcastic and comic relief, as if they were talking to little kids they just hated and wanted to lock in a closet in the dark for hours until they cried.

Okay, well, in a sense, they actually did. Except the closet was way larger than expected and the dark would be filled with creep-crawlies that were mechanical and were covered in scraggly rags with red dye on it.

"Step aside, losers," Paulina said, stepping up in front of Dash and making her hips slide from side to side with each step to emphasize the fact her skirt was short. Danny frowned. Just what was she trying to accomplish? Tucker, however, was fighting hard not to drool. Paulina shoved Sam to one side. The girl stumbled slightly and glared at her as Dash and Star followed. Star looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue at the three teens and made an 'L' sign with her thumb and index finger before walking in all the way.

"I hope this works," Danny sighed, crossing his arms and standing next to Sam.

"Trust me," she said, the scowl still on her face. She looked at Tucker, and seemed to exchange some mental notes with him. Tucker grinned and began to close the door of the school. It wouldn't be locked, just to block out the moonlight from the outside from going into the school. Complete darkness except for the occasional Neon lights.

_"It will be. I guarantee it."_

* * *

E/ND: -evil laughetr and rubs hands together-

I'll have the next chapter up today if I can!

--Airamé Phantom


	8. Silence

A/N:D

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Eight**

* * *

"Did those losers turn close the door?!" Paulina shrieked. She couldn't see anything at all. All around her was darkness. Next to her on both sides, however, she could see two dark blobs that she guessed were Star and Dash. 

"Yeah!" Star joined in screaming. The two girls held onto each other in fright as they tried to figure out what to do.

"Oh come on!" Dash said. "It's just dark. Nothing's gonna pop out of nowhere and-"

He stopped dead in mid-sentence. From a distance, someone screamed. Loudly. I was like that scream you always hear on movies like Halloween and Friday 13. That scream that's so familiar. Dash looked around, eyes shooting in every direction, desperately trying to adjust. That sound just caused shivers to run down his spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. The fact that Star and Paulina had joined in screaming didn't make anything better.

Music began to play. The type of suspenseful music they play in movie theaters that seems to pierce your ear drums and strike so much fear into your heart that it makes your insides turn cold. It was organ music: loud and rapid and sounding so ugly to his ears now. He gulped and cleared his throat. "Come on," he said. "Let's keep moving. As long as we're moving, everything will just pass us by in the dark." By now he could practically make out most shapes even if it looked like he was watching an extremely old moving on a tape. When you could see tiny specks and pixels that are the wrong color on the screen. The dots danced around in tiny, microscopic twirls and herds. But Dash didn't let it bother him. "Come on," he repeated. He felt Paulina crush one of his arms and Star grab onto his other free arm. He didn't mind, he held them close too.

They walked on, trying to stay close to the walls and trying to speed up whenever they saw one of the ultra-violet lamps. That only made them glow where ever they had white on their clothes. But it was light at least.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity but what was really about ten minutes, someone's screams were heard. From around the corner of the next hall towards where there was a lamp illuminating all the way to the opposite wall, the teens spotted a shadow running quickly their way. The scream was coming from that figure. The girl wore an Alice in Wonderland costume. In her hand was her blonde wig and black ribbon. Her black shoes made a loud click-clack sound on the floor as she ran bye. "Get away from me!" she screamed and ran past Paulina and Star and Dash.

"Oh god!" Paulina said, her voice sounding tense. Tears fought to leave her eyes and a scream threatened to escape her throat. "Oh god"! she screamed. The girl ran into the next hall blindly, and out of sight. "I want to get out!" Paulina cried, not able to handle the fear built up in her chest. It wouldn't let breathe.

"No way! We can't give in to Fen-terd!" Dash objected, though his voice was also trembling, betraying him. Around them, suddenly, everything became a warm sauna. "Look!" Star said in a shrilly voice. Then the neon lights turned red instead of purple. Dash took a step back, nearly stepping on Paulina's foot except he froze before his foot touched the ground.

Everything around them became dead silent except for a couple of shuffling footsteps and quiet, piano-like notes playing on the intercoms. He recognized this tune. That melody that he hated so because it was so babyish. But the way it was being played made it seem very nerve-racking. His eyes widened and he found that he could feel cold droplets of sweat roll down his face.

Paulina whimpered and hid behind him. Star froze in her spot, knees weak and trembling, her eyes finally giving way to the oncoming tears. She breathed in quick gasps of breath. The little tune continued. Dash's eyes were glued to the hall-way corner where the lamp illuminated the hall walls.

His eyes were wide even though he so wanted to turn tail and run out the door. He gulped again. Then the music stopped. In the dead silence he could hear the steady tick-tock of the clock. Then the tune played again, but this time slower and softer. For some reason this didn't comfort him. It made him more nervous.

Then, came the last straw.

_"I love you..."_ the voice sang. It was most recognizably a girl's voice: high and smooth and soft and beautiful. But though entrancing, it set him on the edge.

"W-who's there?" he asked, his voice stammering over the words no matter how hard he fought to remain calm.

"Dash, I don't like this," Paulina whispered.

Something shuffled around them, then became silent. Then the sound of something dragging against the floor. It was no longer shuffling around them, but came from where the lam was. A shadow was cast. Dash's teeth clenched and Star stopped trembling, her eyes wide, chewing on her nails.

_"You love me..."_

Dash could practically hear the wicked grin in that voice. It froze his heart into solid ice. The shadow stopped as the figure came into the light of the lamp. It looked so ominous standing there. Dash could see her grin. Her teeth glinted with the light of the lamp. Her gaze was downcast. Her red hair mixed in perfectly with the red light, making it looked like she was drenched in blood. Her white and red dressed made her look like a ragdoll. But along her sleeves and the front of her dressed were what looked like little streams and veins of something dark against the light color.

The word struck Dash's mind like a someone's finger at the string of a harp.

That was blood. That girl had blood on her clothes. He took another step back, finding that Paulina had also done so.

_"Let's get together and..." _The girl's slouched figure made her look almost dead. Paulina's eyes shifted down the girl's arm. A curious dripping sound had caught her ear and her eyes wanted to investigate. She noticed that in her hand was something with the outline of a...

She gasped. Its blade glinted a red color. The dripping sound came from something dark dropping off from the shiny blade. "Guys..." her voice trembled greatly as she whispered.

Dash and Star caught sight of the axe and quickly looked at the girl. Star had bitten her nails off so much, her fingers had begun to bleed and ache a lot. But the pain was nothing compared to that look on that girl's face.

The girl lifted her glance a tiny bit. Her smirk was broad and maniacal even in this bad light. She puckered to her lips. She looked at them out of the tops of her eyes. She narrowed her eyes and made a kiss-like sound before singing: _"...play murderer..." _

She stepped forward towards them into the darkness, forcing them back. _"With my shiny axe!"_ she sang, louder and more awful than her delicate voice from before. She stood in a way where her legs were spread at shoulder width. Her arms were a bit out by her side, one holding the axe tightly in her hand to emphasize her voice. _"Severe a head or two..."_

She grinned and rose the axe, grinning wickedly. The blade glinted. Her face was covered in shadows, making her sinister grin deeply contract with the darkness. Behind her the red light gave her a hellish look. _"I'll have fun!"_ she shouted in a hoarse voice._ "I hope you will to!"_

Screams in the darkness.

Wicked laughter.

The whistle of a blade cutting air.

_Silence._

* * *

E/ND: Oh my goodness!!! I freaked myself out! Morathi, you fiend!  
Emelia: He stole my job! 

me: -shrug-

Emelia: I'm the muse of suspense! Not him!

Morathi: -grin-

--Airamé Phantom


	9. Why Thank You

A/N: omg... :D

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Nine**

* * *

"Run!" Dash screamed and all three bolted into the darkness in whatever direction they found they could possibly go into. Paulina and Star didn't scream: they were much to scared. Dash only panted as his heart raced quicker than he ever thought it could. Behind them he could hear the laughter of the ragdoll-girl. Then he heard a soft whistle that sounded like something thin and sharp whooshing through the air. He just kept running. 

The dance (which would be in the bandroom) should be around there somewhere!

It was sound proof, so the music from inside wouldn't damage the atmosphere of the haunted house. If you found the bandroom, then you had a free ticket to no horror.

Then Paulina screeched and came to a halt, causing Star to bump into her, causing both of them to fall forward. Another figure in an awkward position stood before them in the darkness. The knees were brought together while the feet were a bit apart, as if weak from exhaustion or something. The shoulders were slumped and the head was tilted. It looked like someone standing there.

"What the heck is that!?" Dash shouted.

"I don't know!" Star shouted and began to stand. Then she stopped upon feeling something on the floor. It felt...soft and warm and liquid-like. She froze and looked down at what her elbow and hand was resting in. Her eyes widened in horror.

Paulina, sensing the girl's sudden fear, turned to her. "Aaaaaah!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The slouched figure before them grinned in the darkness.

_"Come play with me,"_ it said in a little voice.

Dash helped Paulina and Star up quickly, practically dragging them. "Run, Run, RUN!" he shouted quickly. Evil giggling came from behind them as the ragdoll-girl mocked them. Her laughter echoed off the halls and bounced about, following them, seemingly. Star desperately tried to wipe off her hands, sliding her fingers across the wall and on her clothes. "It won't come off!" she shrieked. "It won't come off!" Paulina shouted something to her, but it was incoherent because of the trembling of her voice and the fact it sounded like she was crying.

"This way!" Dash shouted, looking off to his right and turning around the corner into the another adjoining hall. Then the sound of soft thudding footsteps came from behind them. Paulina dared look back.

Behind them she saw the red-head ragdoll-girl running speeding towards them! Her eyes were sharp as the knife she held in her hand. Her arms were slung behind her to make her go a bit faster than if she were running normally. The grin on her face made Paulina want to throw-up.

"She's gaining!" she screeched.

_"Please play with me!" _

Dash ran into another hall. He finally reached a door. He looked behind them. The girl was rapidly catching up.

"Dash!" Paulina screamed.

* * *

"You what?!" Danny shouted, staring at Sam incredulously. "They agreed so easily?" 

Sam smiled. "I had to pay each one 30 dollars in advance, but it's no big deal," she said casually, shrugging one shoulder.

"Yeah! For you!" Tucker said. Though his wicked grin betrayed his voice. Sam smiled again.

"I kind of liked the idea of their wicked minds working with us to totally embarrass those three bobble-heads by making them scream so hard they lose their voices for a week," she said, then took a small breath at the end of her sentence.

"Wow," Danny said. "That was a mouthful!"

"But totally worth it!" Sam said, grinning. "I can't wait to see their faces with all the extra stuff we set up!"

"So that's why you needed all that red dye!" Tucker said.

"And why you wanted us to heat it and put gel in it too," Danny added. Sam nodded again.

"Just to make it thick enough to pass for blood," she remarked.

"You were pretty smart on making this elaborate plan," Danny commented.

"Why thank you," Sam said smugly. Danny smiled at her and she blushed slightly, losing all the smugness that sued to be on her expression.

"I'm right here you know!" Tucker laughed as Danny's cheeks colored as well.

* * *

E/ND: I love cliffies, so yeah... 

--Airamé Phantom


	10. Okay!

A/N: Up-date!!!

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Ten**

* * *

Dash reached for the door knob and opened it. The girl's rushed past him inside. Dash looked at the girl running towards them, then spat, "Get away you freak!" He slammed the door shut. 

Outside, the girl stopepd just in time to not crash into the door. Grinning, she whistled, sticking two fingers into her mouth. The whistle was sharp, but inside the room they couldn't hear. The girl looked around to her left.

From the left came someone who was dressed exactly the way she was except: there were veins and streams of something dark on her clothes and in her hand was an axe.

Then ragdoll girl then looked to her right. From that direction came someone _**else**_ dressed like them. Except this girl carried no knife and her clothes were clean.

The one who had whistled grinned as the two other ragdoll-girls came to her and stopped. "Mission accomplished," she said, putting out a hand, palm facing the cieling. A type of accent from Georgia or the south littered her voice.

"Alright!" said the ragdoll-girl with the axe. She put the axe over his shoulder and extended a hand, low-fiving the other girl. The last girl, the one with clean clothes only smiled.

"Oh come, Trinity!" said the one who'd whistled. "Give me five!" She put her hand up towards the girl, who only looked at her.

"Jacky, if she don't want to high-five you, then she won't. Come on outside, we got some more money to collect," said the girl with the axe. Jacky, as the girl with the knife was called, grinned now.

"Okay, I'm looking forward to that alright!" she said and ran ahead of them two other girls.

Trinity and the other girl, who was named Serenity, walked along in slight silence. Then Serenity said, "So, what's up witchoo?" She blended the words 'with' and 'you' and the end of her sentence. She shrugged the axe up onto her shoulder as it had begun to slide down. She eyed the girl next to her curiously. "You're quiet. Somethin' wrong?"

Trinity stayed silent for a moment. "Got a baaaaaaaad feeling, Ser," she said. 'Ser' sounded a lot like 'Sair' or something. She shook her head as she spoke. Serenity looked at her sister and shrugged.

"Don't jinx anything, Trin. It's bad luck on a day like this. After all, tomorrow's All Hallow's Eve, ya know," she said.

* * *

"Did we lose them?" Paulina asked over the music in the background as Dash clsoed the door. Dash nodded.

"Yep, they won't come in here," he said. Then in a lower voice, "I hope..."

They turned around towards the crowd of students already inside the room. Dance music played and punch and chips and otehr Halloween themed snacks were being served. Everyone was dressed in costumes, their masks and clothing terrifying in some cases.

"At least we're in the safe," Paulina whispered, whimpering still. She sniffled and looked at Star. The blonde-haired girl stared at ehr hands, then tried once again to wipe off the red from her finger tips down her clothes. "It won't come off," she murmured to herself.

Paulina narrowed her eyes and grabbed hold of Star wrist. A strange smelled like _tamarindo_ drifted into her nostrils. She sniffed Star's fingers. "Gel..." she murmured. She stared at Star, then looked at Dash. Both looked back at her, confused. "They set us up," she hissed. "Those three geeks set us up!"

"It was way too smart," Dash said.

"Maybe they are smarter than they look," Star said, astonished. It had all been so cleverly thought out. They were amazed.

"Time for pay-back," Paulina said. Dash nodded.

"How about we wait 'til after the dance?" Star asked quietly.

Paulina and Dash shared a glance and shrugged.

"Okay!"

* * *

E/ND: Short, yes. Next chapter's gonna lead into the plot all the way!

--Airamé Phantom


	11. Schmack!

A/N: Chappie up-date!

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chater Eleven**

* * *

_"I hope this works..." A hand tugs at a purplish sword trapped within an orangey-purple pumkin. "Hnnnnnn!"_

_The sword comes loose, and with it the place is surrounded in purple-black shadows. _

_"Aha! I have been once again released!"_

_"I, Tech-"_

_Before the ghost can go any further, a hand wraps around his throat. The purple fire-headed ghost now before him, glares at the ghost who released him. "Why have you released me?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. _

_"I need your help!" the white-haired ghost wheezes. _

_"For what? And what's in it for me?"_

_"Help me have a little fun trying to destory my enemy, and you can take revenge on the ghost-boy who trapped within the confines of that pumkin-y prison."_

_"I like the way you think..."_

* * *

Danny, Sam, and Tucker joked and laughed as they began to make their way into the bandroom. Around them the lights had been turned on already. The students had already emptied out and the bots and stuff had been turned off. In their hands, Sam, Danny, and Tucker carried dustpans and brooms to clean up in the bandroom after the dance **_- _**which was now. 

"I can't believe they atcually got that freaked," Danny remarked. He chuckled and laughed quietly as he walked.

"Totally worth the money spent," Sam said, nodding her head. "The Triplets did very well."

"I can't believe you hired_** them**_, that's what _**I **_can't believe," Tucker commented.

"Jacky loves making money. And this was an easy buck." Sam was very sure of what she was saying. After all, she'd know the Clay Triplets for a very long time. Trinity was the quiet one: loving to read the tarot and impersonate cartoon voices and whatnot. Jacky was the money-maker: determined and as stubborn as a bull when it comes to getting what she wants. Serenity was the easy-going one. She was smart, but had the attitude of a dozen cheerleaders. Not to mention she was the one who spoke with the worst grammar. But she also one of the best voices out of the whole school. Man, that girl could sing! They were known as the Clay Triplets all around school.

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" Sam asked.

"Sure, but I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces!" Tucker said, his smile lighting up insantly at the thought of Dash, Paulina and Star running around screaming.

"Don't we all," Danny murmured, shaking his head regretfully.

"Ah, well, at least we know we scared them and kept our promise," Sam offered. As they began to turn into the bandroom, however, down from the hall came a few very angry-looking teenagers.

"Hey, losers!" shouted the annoying voice that could only belong to Dash Baxter. He stood between the two girls. Danny turned quickly, expecting to see only Paulina, Star, and Dash. But to his surprise, they were accompanied by a couple of other jocks: Kwan and Luis Sanchez, Paulina's cousin, followed close behind, both dressed as zombies.

"Oh boy..." Sam murmured, turning as well. She gulped silently, then stood out in front of Danny and Tucker. Danny only stared at her. "What's wrong??" she shouted to Dash. "Did you get to scared your brain was actually startled awake after being in hibernation for so long?" She smirked, but inside, she was worried as to what was going to happen.

"I'm getting tired of your stupid jokes!" shouted Paulina.

"Yeah!" Star added. Sam looked at Star.

"Did you like the fake blood, Star?" she asked, eyeing the girl's red-tinted finegrs and arm and the red stains on her blue princess dress.

Before anyone else could say something, Danny stands up enxt to Sam. "Look, it was jsut a little Halloween prank to scare you guys," he says. He doesn't want any trouble. At least not while they were already in trouble. "How does forgive and forget sound?"

Dash grins. "How's about we skip over forgive and go right to forgetting!" Danny didn't know what that meant. What was it supposed to mean, anyway?

Before he could say anything else though, he found that Luis and Kwan ahd slipped around them, grabbing him and Tucker by the shirts.

"What the-!" Sam began.

"Hey! Let go!" Tucker shouts.

"What are you doing?" Sam shouts as Luis begins to open the door to the Janitor's Closet to push Danny and Tucker in.

"Let go!" Danny shouts, trying to kick. Sam was going to run towards them to try to help, but to ehr surprise, she was apprehended by none other than Star and Paulina.

Sam glares at them as they push her into the closet along with her two friends which had been pushed inside gently.

To heck with Gently! The two jocks had practically thrown them in there!

The light was suddenly blocked out as the door closed abruptly and the sound of it bolting shut was ehard. Sam regained contorl and stood up along with Tucker and Danny.

"Let us out!!"

"Get us out of here!"

"Open the door!"

They all shouted simultaneously. The Janitors had been given the day off and Lancer was nowhere near the school then. Outside, above the pounding of their fists on the door, the sounds of laughter could be heard. What a stupid idea.

"Damn you!" Sam shouted, kicking at the door with her boot-clad foot. The laughter seemed to drift far from them as they guessed the jocks and cheerleaders had begun to exit the building. "God!" Sam shouted. She cursed rapidly beneath her breath. "If only I could just...squeeze their throats...makes their eyes pop...and-"

"Sam, come on, calm down," Danny said. "I'll have us out of here in a second flat."

Tucker began to say something then, also to try and clam Sam down, but everyone froze as a cold kind of feeling swept over them. Then a strange sensation claimed their voices.

Danny knew this feeling very well. He'd grown a bit used to it, but it still freaked him out some times. It was like not breathing and holding your breath, but weirder because you didn't need to breathe. As if you were underwater and you could breathe just fine. It was...hard to explain.

Sam suddenly gasped and put a hand on her chest. "Did you guys...feel that?" she asked.

Danny nodded. "Yeah..." he whispered.

"That was kinda weird," Tucker said. "I never felt like that before."

"Me neither," Sam said. She took anotehr deep breath and pointed at the door then. That feeling had drained every ounce of anger in her system. She felt a little better now. "Do you mind?' she asked softly.

"Oh, right," Danny murmured, grabbing hold of Tucker's arm and Sam's hand. "Here goes!"

He charged forth at an easy pace and got ready to turn intangible.

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

_SCHMACK!_

* * *

E/ND: Wooahahahaha! I didn't do spell-chaeck: enough said. 

--Airamé Phantom


	12. Guys!

A/N: Chappie up-date!

**

* * *

**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Ow!" Danny shouted as he fell back. 

Sam fell back. "Okay...intangibility just went prtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt..." she stuck out her tongue and made a sound like a lawn mower that wouldn't turn on. Tucker rubbe dhis forehead.

"What happened?" he asked his dazed compadre. Danny winced and touched his forehead gingerly.

"I don't know, he murmured. "I couldn't go through..."

"Try again," Sam said. "Just do it yourself this time, and try not to charge." Danny glanced at her, then at the door.

"Okay..." He stood up and, after a stumbled step, touched the door and tried to go through it. Nothing. A wave of panic swept over him. This time he put both hands against the door and pushed his strength onto it all the while trying to go intangible. Nothing. "I can't...do it!" he grunted, finally standing back, eyes wide, heart beating much too fact for him to think straight. "I can't go intangible!"

"Try turning into Danny Phantom," Tucker said.

Danny turns his hands to fists and clsoed his eyes. This had to work! I mean, it's not like his powers could just...vanish on him like that without explanation! and according to him, he hadn't gotten himself into any ghostly trouble yet that day. None at all.

After a second, he opened his eyes. It didn't work! "Oh god!" he exclaimed, a bit panicked now.

Okay...

He was very panicked.

"It's not working!" he shouted.

"There's gotta be some reason! Maybe you're just too freaked right now," Sam said.

"Yeah," Tucker agreed. "Your powers some times work on your emotions."

"Just calm down, we'll find a way out of this," Sam said. She looked at the door, then around them at the items that were at their disposal.

He bit her lower lip and said, "Can't use your ice powers either?"

Danny looked at his hands for a second, placing his palms so they faced each other. "No..." he said, still a bit terrorized and confused.

"Okay, time for good old fashioned lock picking..." Sam sighed and began to search around to anything sharp within the room. She searched through one drawer. She scissors, screw drivers, hammers, the regular stuff Janitors use. Now if only she could find some...

"Aha!" she grinned, locating what she had been looking for. She began to bend the item into a 'U' kind of shape. "She shrugged. "It will nevr replace the classic bobby pin, but it'll do." In her hand was a thin but seemingly tough piece of metal wire. She walked over to the door and knelt down, trying to pick the lock, inserting one end of the 'U' at the top, ad the other at the bottom of the keyhole. Tucker and Danny watched, Danny tapping his foot. This was like his worst fear come true. There they were near midnight locked in the Janitor's Closet in a school that was probably locked down from the outside and with a security system. Not to mention the fact it was decorated with the latest technology in building robots that were programmed to scare the crap out of you. This was not looking good.

_Click!_

"Got it," Sam said. She had had the side of her face near the lock, her hair pushed behind her ear. She turned the doorknob and opened the door. Outside, it was pitch black.

"Oh man..." she whispered, looking around. The darkness sent shivers down her spine and gave her goosebumps.

"Creepy," Tucker murmured. "Who turned off the lights?"

"I don't know, but I can't provide any light," Danny said, angry now. Just when he needs his powers, they fail him!

He stood up took a step outside into the darkness. He looked around. But at least his vision was way more advanced that a regular human's vision. The up-side of being a half-ghost. His eyes grew accustommed to the dark quickly. "Come on guys," he said as he ehard their foot steps behind him.

"I hate this," Sam whispered. "It's kinda suspenseful."

"I know what you mean," Danny murmured.

"Let's just find the light switch and split," Tucker said.

"Yeah..."

They walked side by side for a couple of seconds. Then the footsteps behind him stopped. "Guys, we should stick together, come on," Danny said, taking a couple more steps forward. He stopped when only silence followed him. A strange feeling like when someone's watching you filled his senses. His eyes widened and he turned quickly on his heels. "Guys?" he whispered. No response. He took a step back.

_**"GUYS?!?"**_

* * *

E/ND: I didn't do spell-check. Enough said. Evil! Evil cliffie!!! 

:D my favorite kind of ending!

--Airamé Phantom


	13. Sammy

A/N: today's my last dya to finish this!! Wish me luck! And sorry Axel and Smitz, I won't be chatting ro role playing today! And Axel, I don't think I ever got your post.

WARNING: This chapter contains content not suitable for children beneath the age of twelve. It contains blood, graphic violence, perversion, and gore. Leave now or face the consequences or Morathi's wrath.

**

* * *

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

"I really don't like this..." Sam whispered, looking around now. Above her head was a gleaming purple ultra-violet light. She didn't know how, but somehow she was teleported to a new location in the school. She couldn't tell where she was though. She looked down the hall to her left. She could hardly see more than five yards before it turned pitch black. She crossed her arms over her chest. She felt really cold all of a sudden. She took a deep breath and gulped silently. If this was some sort of prank, it wasn't a funny one. Then, out from the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw something dark flash. She turned quickly, a feeling of dread settling in her chest. It was that kind of feeling you get when you're on an elevator: like a wave of cold mixed with heat kind of feeling. 

Whatever it was, it seemed to be gone. "H-hello?" she asked quietly, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat. "Hello?" she asked again, taking a step forward.

"You'll die before the night is over," said a small, girlish voice. Then a giggle.

"You'll all die," said another slightly different voice. Sam froze. Out of the corner of the hall, she could see three little girls, leaning over each other so only their heads could be seen. There were more giggles.

"And we'll watch," said another voice. Sam could only see their silhouettes, though, because of the dark. She squinted her eyes.

"Who are you guys?" she asked. They looked a lot like The Clay Triplets, and she hoped it wasn't them. But her only response was more giggles.

"Try to catch us," said one side. "And maybe you'll live. Even if your friends aren't so lucky."

Sam didn't waste a second before shouting, "What!?!" It would be corny to say her heart stopped for a second, or that her heart skipped a beat. The correct thing to say would be: she felt her mind go into slow-downloading and her diaphragm just wouldn't let her speak for lack of air. So her shout came out as a mere croak of a word.

More giggling, then the three heads vanished as the sounds of tiny footsteps sounded on the floor.

"Get back here!" Sam shouted and began to run forward towards the hall.

Then something stopped her.

Okay, more like made her slip. Something on the ground made her feet slide beneath her. Her arms bolted into the air, her trying to catch something but grabbing only the invisible atmosphere. "Gah!" she shouted as she fell backwards, her feet slipping out from underneath her. She fell into something wet and warm and she feared what it could possibly be because she knew what it was. She felt the liquid seep through her clothes and wet her bare flesh. She lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes as large as flying saucers and her teeth clenched, her throat not obeying her mind by making no sound.

A small drop of something dark fell atop her forehead. She made no effort to wipe it away. "Oh god..." she whispered, her voice choked. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god."

"Run now," said a disembodied small voice. "Run now before we get you too."

Sam's chest rose and fell quickly with each breath as her eyes filled with tears at the sight. Above her, was a person staring right back with cold, dead wide eyes. Above her was her friend. His mouth was open in a silent scream. Blood dripped from his fingertips from where he had been mercilessly stapled to the cieling with what looked like the kind of staples used for wood. His ears were stapled too, bleeding shiny, brownish-red liquid. His red beret was stapled to his head where blood also accumulated and dripped form his nose. Everywhere Sam looked, there were staples and blood and gore and pain. Pain that sent shivers through every fiber of her being. She choked on her tears as she realzied what she was lying in.

She was lying in Tucker Allen Foley's blood.

"He was fun to play with," said the same voice as before. Giggle. "He screamed a lot too. I was surprised at how much he bleeds. His face is funny isn't it?" Giggle.

"Damn you," Sam whispered. "Damn you bastards!"

Giggles. "We're coming for you, Sammy. We're coming."

Sam bolted straight up and stood to her feet. Her tears stilled blinded her as she began to run. Tiny foot steps rang in her ears as she charged on blindly through the darkness of the halls.

The giggling also pushed through her ears like a never-ending song of terror and insanity.

"Run, Sammy! Keep running!" a small voice shouted. "We're gonna get ya! We're gonna get ya!"

"Leave me alone!" Sam shouted, her boots heavy beneath her. She felt the cooling blood on her shirt and felt it drip down her neck from her hair. She cried hard. Her breathing was heavy and came in sharp gasps as she sobbed. She was covered in his blood.

Blood.

Tucker.

Sam fell to her knees then, not able to keep it in any longer. Her knees hit the floor and her hands touched the floor to as she leaned her head down and vomited. The acid-like feeling in her throat would not cease as the fluids mixed with particles of her breakfast passed out through her mouth. It tasted disgusting with all the digestive chemicals. The warm mixture touched her hands and she vomited again from disgust.

She coughed. She opened her eyes, panting and wiping her mouth with one hand. Mixed with the vomit, she saw, was blood. The dark liquid streaked through the whole thing. She grasped her stomach and sat back on her legs and sobbed again.

"What's wrong, Sammy?" said a small voice. Sam froze. The voice was coming right behind her and she was pretty sure it wasn't her imagination.Sam turned her head slightly. A little girl stood right there, her eyes locking with Sam's.

"What do you want?" Sam hissed, her voice harsh and her face holding a scowl. The little girl smiled, making her cheeks gain dimples. Her dark hair was cut short and didn't pass her shoulders. Her black eyes and pale skin made Sam queasy.

"We wanna play," said the girl. Her white dress was stained with blood all over the front. Her black shoes, Sam noted, were trailing blood also. "We wanna play with you and your little friends. Don't you wanna play with us, Sammy? Don't you wanna? I thought you were alone. I thought you wanted to have someone as a friend."

Sam didn't know what she was talking about. Then it occured to her to look down at herself. She looked at her hands. They were stained with blood just like before, but her clotrhes were different. Her hands were a little chubby and small. Her legs were bare and instead of ehr skirt and belly-shirt, she wore purple overalls. Her shoes were purple too. She touched her hair. It was up into two pigtails. She was five again. The times before she met Danny and Tucker, she knew.

"Don't you wanna be our friend?" asked the little girl. Around her now, Sam saw, were the two other girls too. "We know you don't like being alone. You're afraid of the dark. Of being alone. Sam scowled. She wasn't believing any of this.

"Leave me alone," she said.

"Come on, Sammy, play with us," said the girl.

Sam looked at herself again, she was back to normal.

"Play with us, Sammy, and we'll leave your friends alone."

Sam looked up and saw that the girls were gone.

"We'll kill them, Sammy. We will."

"Leave them alone!" she shouted.

"It's okay to be scared," the voice whispered in her ear. Sam turned around quickly. No one. They were messing with her head. Already her throughts were in a turmoil. "It's okay," the voice said again, this time behind her.

Sam put her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound. "It's okay to be hated,. It's okay to feel sad and alone."

"Stop it," Sam said.

"It's okay feel like you don't belong."

"You're a freak."

"You're different."

"Outcast."

"Stop it!" Sam screamed.

The three girls stood in front of her now. They had their heads down and looked like copies of each other. Sam looked at them, her eyes still littered with tears. "Please, leave me alone," she whispered.

The girl smiled and suddenly merged into one. "Bye, Sammy, bye."

Sam saw the girl wave. Suddenly it felt as if the air had been knocked out of her and a red screen descended over her eyes, which widened again. She would have screamed, except her lungs stopped working.

_"Bye, Sammy..."_

* * *

E/ND: Morathi outdid himself... 

--Airamé Phantom


	14. No!

A/N: Next chappie!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

"Guys?" Danny whispered, really freaked now. He looked around in the darkness. It felt as if he was being watched, and he was pretty sure he was. "Guys?" he called again as he walked. He still couldn't go ghost, and that was scaring him too.

everything was so weird. So...

Not normal. Something was up, and he had to find Sam and Tucker to figure it out. An unsettling feeling in his stomach, though, told him something bad was going to happen. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sound of shuffling sounded. He turned, seeing asthe sound came from behind him. Darkness overcame the neon light from the Ultra-violet lamp. His eyes scanned around.

"Someone there?" he asked uncertainly. No response. He frowned. Maybe it was Tucker being a loser or something. Yeah, he thought, it's one of them.

Rather he folled himself into thinking that. But he knew that wasn't it.

"Danny," came a voice. A hand touched his shoulder. It spun around quickly as a cold sensation descended over his whole insides.

No one. "Who's there?!" he asked, louder this time.

"Danny..." it said again.

"Come on, guys," he said, trying to smile but only getting himself a shakey grin. His hands trembled and his knees felt weak. His eyes still shifted around. He took a step back. "This isn't funny." He frowned again and bit his lower lip. "Guys?" he squeaked.

"Danny!" said the same voice, louder this time. Somethiong grasped his ankle. He was really freaked this time. He hesitated to look, down but did so anyway. "Danny, you bastard!" the harsh, raspy and dry voice shouted at him. Danny came face to face with the scariest thing he would probably every see.

He felt his face contort into a look between terror and disgust. His lower lip shook at the realization of who it was. "J-jazz?" he stammered.

There she was, grasping his ankle. But what's worst, was the fact her skin was badly burnt. It was black and charred. Her aqua-blue eyes were black too, contrasting deeply upon the white of her eyes with red veins streaking it. Her red hair was nappy and a darker color than Danny was accustommed too. Streaks of blood fell down her burnt face as burnt skin began to peel off, revealing red bloody muscle beneath. Danny felt he would puke, but resisted it. He gulped. "W-what happened?" he asked. The horror in his vocie was apparent and strong. Jazz's teeth bared, white amongst her black lips. The skin around her motuh stretched and flaked. Now she was given new red lips. Formed by the blood of the muscle.

"This is your fault," Jazz said. Blood fell from her mouth and now Danny knew why she was talking funny. If he paid closer attention, he would see that she had no tongue to use. Her jaw was dislocated and looked a bit awkward. Her ears were gone so blood also spilled from the sides of her head. Jazz grasped his other ankle, trying to haul herself up.

"N-no!" Danny shouted, trying to pull himself away. He got free of her grasp, but he stumbled and fell against the wall of lockers. He scuttled up against the wall, away from his older sister, who dragged herself towards him, still looking at him with such hatred it burnt his heart.

"This is...your fault!" she shouted again. "You weren't there!...You abandoned us! Because of you...we're dead!"

She grasped his leg again and Danny kicked, his natural reflexes taking hold. "No!" he shouted, eyes squeezing shut. Jazz's head was his foots target, and her ehad went flying through the air. She screeched as she went and banged hard against the opposing wall. Her body fell limp. Danny's eyes shifted from the bleeding neck and forming puddle of blood to the streak of red on the wall. His eyes follwoed it down to the ground where Jazs's head lay. It had been cracked through from the sheer force of the kick. He could see the white of bone among flesh and muscle. But his stomach tightened at the sight of something, a lump of coiled flesh, laying within the waste. It looked like scrambled eggs dipped in cherry-syrup. It was a mixture of mashed brains. Jazz's eyes were among the mixture, but they just looked like meatballs in spaghetti. It was horrible and he had to resist the urge to vomit again. Instaed he shook his head as tears came spilling down his eyes.

_You weren't there!_

_You hurt us!_

_You left us alone!_

_You couldn't protect us!_

_You worthless piece of-_

Danny shook his head and covered his ears.

_**"No!"**_ he shouted loudly and stood up to his feet, scrambling away from the body. The hems of his jeans were soaked with Jazz's blood, but he didn't care for that right nopw. He wanted out and quick!

He ran forward, the neon lights flashing every once in awhile as he traveled between darkness and light. Then finally his eyes came across a standing figure dressed in a black skirt and shirt. He couldn't resist the smile forming on his lips to finally see a familiar face and form.

"Sam!" he shouted, and rushed towards her. He touched her shoulder and turned her around. Then he stumbled back, falling again, eyes wide in terror.

It was Sam, but her eyes were drooped, and her collarbones and neck were covered in gleaming streams of blood. Where was the blood coming from, her lips. Her lips were sewed shut with black thread. Her eye brows were covered in red blood because she had no eye brows, it was just two streaks of ripped flesh.

"No," Danny whispered, shaking his head. "No!" he stood again and ran for it. Sama mde no attempt to follow him.

"Please," Danny whispered. "Get me out of here!"

* * *

E/ND: Morathi outdid himself...

--Airamé Phantom


	15. Footsteps

A/N: MUST FINISH!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

"Where am I?" Tucker murmured, looking around. Everywhere he looked was covered in a sheet of fog. He knew he was in the school, but he didn't recognize this particular hall and spot. He cocked an eye brow at the surroundings. He scratched his forehead. "This is weird," he said to hismelf. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey Danny, Sam! Where are you guys!" 

There was a sharp giggle from off to the side in front of him. He frowned. That wasn't Sam. And he hoped it wasn't Danny (EW!). A figure in the fog became clear as it itself was beginning to clear as well. Tucker's jaw enarly dropepd fully as he noticed what it was that had made the sound.

Or would it be better to say Who it was?

From what his eyes were telling him, it was a girl. A teenage girl. And she was hot. And also from what he could see, and to the limitatins of his imagination, she wasn't just hot, she was wearing no clothes.

This is just to the extent of his imagination. He couldn't see her body, actually, but he could see her head and shoulder and arm, and the bottom half of her leg sticking out from the other hall. The girl giggle again at his expression. "Hello," he cooed.

"Come here," she said, curling and uncurling a finger at him. Tucker greatfully obliged and began to walk forward. The girl giggled again and began to vanish into the otehr hall some more.

"Wait! Don't go yet"! Tucker said and sped up slightly. Giggle. He was just about to speed into a short run when something else caugth his ear. He'd wandered along a little bit after finding out that he had suddenly been alone in the dark. He didn't know where he was going and had found himself where he is now. A strange thing too ebcause he could swear he was hearing a small song now.

_Ring around the rosies..._

_a pocket full of posies... ashes, ashes,_

_we all fall down!_

It sounded like litttle girl's singing. Tucker stopped running and turned around. His brows furrowed. He decided to investigate a little. The girl could wait. (Did I jsut think that?)

Tucker began to walk towards the sound, finding that it was coming from the hallway off to his right. He turned into it, still frowning and a bit apprehensive. There he was emt with three very strnage figures. They looked like triplets and were holding hands and forming a circle around something.

Or rather, someone.

Tucker's eyes widened. "Sam!" he shouted as he got a better view of the girl lying in the middle of the circle. The little, black-haired girls turned to stare at him, then scattered and scrambled away from him. Tucker ran to the girl laying there on the ground and went down on his knees. Sam looked to be alright, no injuring or anything. But jsut to make sure, Tucker decided to try and wake her up. He hauled her up onto his lap and patted ehr cheek. "Sam?" he aske.d "Sam, wake up." He looked towards where the girls had gone and then abck at his friend. "Sam, come on, open your eyes. Answer me..."

"Unnnnnnnn..." Sam groaned, beginning to stir. Tucker felt relieved now, and sighed deeply. Sam opened ehr eyes, ehr vision blurry at first.

"Tucker!" she shouted and suddenly sat up, wrapped her arms around Tucker's neck, and squeezed.

"Sam...need air..." Tucker wheezed.

"Oh god! I thought you were dead!"

"What?!" Tucker gasped.

"I saw your body stapled to the ceiling! I thought you were a goner!" Sam shouted, letting go now. She touched Tucker's cheek and poked his arm before pinching him too.

"Ow!" Tucker said, pulling his arm away. "What the heck are you tlaking about?" he asked. Sam ignored the question and looked aorund themselves. No little girls. Good. But where was Danny?

"Where's Danny?" she asked.

"I don't know, but we should find him. We need to get out of this place," Tucker said. He looked at Sam square in the eye and said, "I don't know about you, but this is freaking me out a little."

Sam nodded. "Me too," she agreed and stood, Tucker doing so as well. "Which is why we need to find Danny. Fast." Tucker nodded.

"I'm guessing we're not gonna split up, though"

"Don't count on it. Somehow, I think this place is trying to get us so freaked we don't even know real from fake," Sam remarked.

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked as they began to walk down the hall in a hasty pace.

"I saw you dead," Sam said, hugging her arms and trying to erase those images. "I got my head messed with too. It was pretty scary to think about how much those little girl's knew about me."

"The ones who I saw around you just now?" Tucker asked. Sam nodded.

Sam stoppped. Tucker looked at her. "What?"

Shhh..." Sam said, putting a finger to her lips. "Listen." Tucker quieted down.

"Foot steps," he commented.

"Sounds like someone running," Sam added. They shared a few silent thougths before bolting into runs towards the sound.

* * *

E/ND: Three more to go! 

--Airamé Phantom


	16. Who's not letting the ghouls out

A/N: MUST FINISH!

**

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

_Just keep running, Fenton, keep running! There's gotta be an exit somewhere in this dump!_

Danny Fenton ran forward, cold sweat streaming down his forehead as he pumped his legs to keep going. Seeing Sam and Jazz like that really freaked him out big time. He still couldn't get that out of his head. Sam's mouth sewed shut. Jazz's charred body and smashed brains. He shook his head.

_No! Just keep going!_

He turned the corner of a hall and found himself colliding with someone. "Ack!" he shouted.

"Yeouch!"

"Hey!"

Danny fell backwards, rubbing his forehead. This was the last time he got knocked over tonight! He looked at the two figures before him now. His eyes widened.

_Oh no! Not again!_ He bolted up to his feet and stepped back. "No way! Not again!" he shouted, hands up in front of him in self-defense. Before him were Sam and Tucker. But he wasn't really sure if it was really them. What if they were monsters? Like the ones from before? Trying to mess with his head? Sam looked up. She looked pretty normal. Tucker didn't look hurt either. They looked at him.

"Danny?" Sam asked uncertainly. Danny looked ready to punch someone out. She looked down at herself. She hadn't noticed she wasn't covered in blood anymore. She looked bac up. "Danny, it's us," she said.

"Yeah, dude, what's wrong with you?" Tucker asked.

"The last time I saw a familiar face, it wasn't exactly familiar anymore," Danny said.

"It's us," Sam insisted, beginning to stand.

"No! Don't come any closer!" Danny shouted as she reached her feet. Tucker stood up as well. He put his hands up.

"Dude, it's me and Sam. We're not monsters. We're not illusions." He tried to reason with Danny, but he could see reluctance.

"They're messing with us, Danny!" Sam shouted. "I saw Tucker dead just a few minutes ago!"

Danny glanced from one of them to the other. _Oh man..._

He sniffled and then lowered his fists, wrapping his arms around his two best friends in surrender. "God, I'm happy to see you guys!" he exclaimed.

"Why is everyone hugging me today?" Tucker asked jokingly. Danny grinned and let go of them.

He took a deep breath. "I want to get out of this place fast," he murmured. As if it wasn't obvious. They all looked like they wnated to get out.

"No kidding," Sam murmured.

"You can't go ghsot yet?" Tucker asked. Danny shook his head regretfully.

"I tried, but it wouldn't work," he said. He was still trying to figure out why, too.

"Guys," Sam whispered then. "I know this may sound crazy, but I thin Danny was right about this being some sort of diabolical plan." Danny and Tucker only stared at her. "I mean, it's too much of a coincidence, isn't it?"

"That is true..." Danny said.

"But who could it be?" Tucker asked.

"Does Fright Knight ring a bell?" said a voice. This time, though, it sounded fairly familiar.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker all shouted simultaneously, "Mikey?!" The vocie had come over the intercom, which meant he was either in the electrical room, or the main office.

"Yeah, yeah, look! Gotta make this quick! There's a guy who keeps saying his name is Technus and another who said he was the Fright Knight. I don't know what's up, but you guys gotta find me!"

"Technus?" Tucker whispered. Danny shrugged.

"The Fright Knight's got to be behind this plan," Sam added.

"I can hear you!" Mikey said.

"Right, where are you?" Danny asked.

"The-"

Static overcame the signal. "Mikey?" Sam asked.

No response. White noise was all they got.

"I think he was caught," Tucker remarked.

"Yah think?" Sama sked. "We need to find him! Maybe finding where he is like finding the cheese in the maze. It's over once you take a bite!"

"But we also got to defeat the Fright Knight and Technus," Danny added. He didn't need a rocket scientist to tell him that Technus had gotten the Fright Knight out and now they were taking their revenge.

Sheesh, they were getting so predictable now.

"Our worst fears are probably gonna come true in this place," Tucker added solemnly.

"So we need to overcome them," Danny said. "If we fear nothing-"

"-then he can't make illusions," Sam finished.

"Exactly," Danny said. He looked at them. "So now that we're together, we can totally fight these guys and get Mikey and us out of here."

"How do we know Mikey isn't an illusion too?" Tucker asked.

"We don't," Danny agreed. "But we need to find those two ghosts anyway. The only way to do that is to find Mikey. There are only two palces where he could be. It shouldn't be hard."

"Danny, we don't even know where **_we _**are," Sam said.

He shrugged. "We'll figrue out some way to figure this whole thing. Let's just stick together and try not to fool ourselves into thinking one of us is the enemy. They're going to try to get us to not trust each other, you can count on that," he said.

"Well, at least we know one thing," Tucker said.

"And what is that?" Sam asked, arching an eye brow at him.

Tucker grinned. "Who's not letting the ghouls out."

"Tucker!"

* * *

E/ND: I won't be able to finish today! Damn it... 

I'll finish tomorrow! Novemebr 1 is All Saint's day, after all!

But I'll keep writing til 10:30!

--Airamé Phantom


	17. Fun Begins

A/N: Won't be able to finish today...

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

_"_Does anybody recognize this place?" Danny asked. They had started walking a couple of minutes before and hadn't stopped since. Things only seemed to get worst ebcause everything was still very unfamiliar. He was beginning to lose hope. 

"Not really," Tucker announced, trying to keep in touch-distance of them. He didn't want to fall behind.

"This is getting to be really frustrating. I don't see anything famil-" Sam stopped. She looked off in the distance and found that a door was open. She cocked an eye brow and began to walk over. "Guys," she said.

"What?" Danny asked.

Sam stood in front of the door and looked in. "This is the closet where Dash and those other bobble-heads locked us in," she said. She looked at them as they began to come near her. "We're back to where this all started." Her voice held disbelief.

"We went in an entire circle?" Tucker asked. Danny groaned and sighed, massaging his temples.

"Looks like," he mumbled. "What good does this do us now?" He threw his arms in the air and leane dhis head back. They were all silent for a few seconds.

"Wait," Sam said. "If this is the closet, then the bandroom should be the next door. And if the bandroom's next door, then-"

"The office is a couple of halls after that," Danny completed.

"Exactly," Sam said. "The only places where Mikey could have been to control the bots is either the office or the Electrical room. They must have caught him in there because...well...it's common sense!"

"So we can win now?" Tucker asked.

"Heck yeah, we can!" Sam exclaimed. "Just gotta keep walking and-" She stopped. She gazed far ahead into the distance behind Danny and Tucker.

"What?" Tucker asked.

Sam pointed behind them. "Just when things were beginning to get a bit better, they have to bring us down don't they?" she asked quietly in a monotone.

Tucker and Danny tunred. Off in the darkness of the distance were quite a few silhuoettes. Three were short and the same height, recognizeable as the triplets Tucker and Sam had seen. Next to them were other figures that they didn't recognized. Or rtaher they didn't really want to.

Suddenly, a rolling kind of sound came to their attention. It sounded like something metal. The trio turned to look at the ground. A screw driver was rolling on the ground having come from the inside.

"Hey guys," Sam said then.

"Yeah?" the two boys chorused.

"How do you feel about a haunted house?" she asked. "With real haunts?"

They shook their heads. "I don't like the sound of that at all," Danny admitted.

"Neither do I," Tucker agreed.

"Well, brace yourself," Sam said.

Suddenly, the palce was fileld with screeching as dozens of black bats sprang to life from inside the Janitor's Closet, flying out from inside. Sam, Danny, and Tucker ducked as the bats flapped their wings crazily around them. From the other side of the hall, the triplets giggled.

It looked like the fun had just begun.

* * *

E/ND: Looks like I have three more chappies to complete. They'll have to be posted tomorrow because my mom's gonna kill me because it's so late...so, good night people and Happy Halloween! 

--Airamé Phantom


	18. Afraid of a Little Blood?

A/N: I am super-duper late now...

I dunno, I'm gonna need an answer to the question at the end of the chappie. I hope I get some answers. I'll withhold the very last chapter of the story 'til I get some opinions.

**

* * *

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

The bats scraped at my skin, me feeling like I'd just been dropped into a pit of a dozen needles prickling me everywhere on my body. I was forced to stumbled backwards and out of the way of the bats. Their sreeches were loud and pierced my eardrums like horribly written high notes on a piano or organ. 

But according to me, bats could only mean one thing: this was getting to be a serious. I've read dozens of books on Halloween. Things like symbols, history, and traditions. There were many types of symbols: a pumpkin meant a good harvest; the color white meant purity and truth; while black meant unknown and darkness.

In this case, the bats only signified one thing: unknown fears. we were about to learn some of the deepest secrets about ourselves that not even we knew. And it scared me.

I fell against the wall opposite where we had been standing. The bats had begun split up and fly off in different directions. The screeching was beginning to stop too. I lowered my arms from my face and opened one eye a crack. Danny and Tucker were there all right, but not the way I'd left them the last time I'd taken a look at them. Danny's shirt had been ripped slightly at the sleeve and he was grasping that same shoulder, I could tell. Tucker's beret was missing, but I knew he didn't care at the moment. Danny walked over to me, extended a hand towards me. "You okay?" he asked, the pain in his voice apparent. I nodded and took his hands.

"Yeah," I murmured. Except for the few cuts and scratches about my arms I was just peachy. But the new anxiety in my heart was killing me.

"Guys, we should probably get moving," Tucker suggested. He was staring off towards where the triplets and the few other figures were. "I don't like their postures."

"Me neither," Danny agreed. "Gotta find Mikey the the other two stupid ghosts."

"Are you okay, though?" I asked, eyes concerned. Danny didn't look at me, which made me even more worried, merely faced the three girls and figures. The opposing silhuoettes didn't move, as if awaiting a command. Danny nodded.

"I'm fine," he said. It was more of a grunt. I knew him better than that. He was trying to be brave, strong, but I knew he was hurt. Those bats must have taken a bite of him or something. But bats didn't bite. They only scraped your skin and licked the blood from the wound. And only vampire bats did that anyway.

"Okay," I whispered softly. "Let's go and kick some ghost butt, shall we?" There I went again, tyring to lighten the moment. But what else could I do but strike a joke? I was nervous, scared, apprehensive. They say you should always expect the unexpected. But how could you possibly expect the unexpected when you didn't know what to expect in the first place?

"Let's," Tucker said. "Before they attack."

We started to back away when suddenly a new voice came over the intercom. "You three will not live to see the light of another day. For I will make sure of it. Your worst fears will become your reality. I know your innermost secrets. You will not get away," it said. The Fright Knight.

He always spoke so strangely: like from the middle ages or something.

"Just try to bring us down!" I shouted. "As long as we're together we're not going to be easy to defeat!" Why did I have to open my big mouth...

I could practically hear the smirk on his face broaden. I was surprised he even knew how to use an intercom.

"Oh trust in me, my darling, I shant fail my nemisis in being triumphant."

"He needs to learn better grammar," Tucker whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"Attack! Bring forth there worst fears!" the Fright Knight suddenly shouted. Our eyes shot towards the figures standing across the hall, our bodies frozen and still. "Make way with their pitiful lives!"

The triplets giggled that insane little giggle they kept laughing earlier. One of the otehr figrues began to wwalk forth also, dragging its leg behind it. My teeth clenched as the three girls began to run forth, humming a little song. The music from the Huanted House began to play a song by Bach on organ. It speedy playing only charged my heart into over-drive, beating too fast for my mind to think straight.

"Run!"

I didn't have to think twice. At Danny's shout of _manos a la obra_ my feet practically jumped into motion, my arms moving back and forth with every step, my eyes stuck on the hallways that could lead us to safety. Danny and Tucker ran next and in front of me as we went. I could hear giggles behind us. Then suddenly we crossed two adjoining halls: one to our left and one to our right. We ran right past, not even noticing, I think. Two of the giggles disappeared. Something dark on the floor appeared suddenly, as if from thin air. I knew this place. This was where I'd seen Tucker; the dead one stapled to the ceiling. "Jump!" I shouted.

What?" Tucker asked, not seeing the puddle of dark matter. It was obvious he would be the one to not see anything. As I jumped over the dark matter, Tucker went on running, speeding into a stop on seeing the dark stuff. He screeched out a curse as he slipped. Danny stopped right in front of the pool, stopping right before he could fall in. I landed from my jump, my boots sliding slightly. I almost lost my balance so I leaned forward, my knuckles scraping against the floor. "Tucker!" Danny and I shouted simultaneously.

The boy tumbled forward and fell face-first into the mixture of thick, sticky red liquid. He screamed again as he fell. He bolted straight up and began to wipe the blood from his face quickly. But he was drenched in it. Then, my eyes follwoed up to the cieling as a strange kind of sliding sound caught my ears. I froze. There seemed to be alot of that this night.

The Tucker I'd seen was beginning to unlatch himself from the cieling. He tugged at his arms, unlatching them. He unlatched his otehr arm, then pulled at his head. I ehard a sick snap and his neck almost broke. I winced.

Dannyw as helping Tucker to get cleaned up, but was afraid of the blood himself. But both boys' attentions were snapped up to the ceiling.

"N-no way!" Tucker shouted.

I gulped. "Yes way," I squeaked.

"Let's get out of here!" Danny shouted suddenly and I nodded stupidly as the fake Tucker unlatched one leg and started to work on the other.

Fake-Tucker let himself fall down to the ground where Tucker used to be. Tucker and Danny now stood next to me as we watched in grave horror as F-Tucker's head rolled off his neck. Blood spurted out a little, forming more to the puddle. Then the head scowled, eyes red with firey hatred at the predicament.

"Hey, Tuck," I said sickly. "You've lost your head." My voice trembled against my own control.

F-Tucker walked over to where his head was, picked it up, and screwed it back on, stopping the flow of blood. He turned to us and scowled and growled.

"Run?" Tucker asked.

"Run," Danny said.

"What's wrong guys?" F-Tucker shouted after us. "Afraid of a little...blood."

I ignored his words. I was wya too busy wondering what other surprises this place would bring.

This horrible haunted house with its horrendous secrets that scared the hell out of me. And I knew Danny and Tucker felt the same.

It's official. We're doomed.

* * *

E/ND: I was wondering if I should complete the story as far as I can today and maybe tomorrow. Or should I stop it for now and finish it next year on Halloween?

_Manos a la obra_: Commence our plan (or) attack (or) let's go

I may start using little spanish phrases. I'll write the translation in the End Notes

:D

--Airamé Phantom


	19. AH!

A/N: So so far everyone wants me to continue except one person.

Ouch...

I feel special!

Well, I'll continue it, I guess! Here's your next chappie, my friends! I'll continue up-dating 'til somehow I gotta get off the computer!

**

* * *

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

"Next hall!" I shouted. We'd lost all sense of direction. Well, sort of. We were almost to the office. If Mikey wasn't there, then we really would be doomed. And I'm not just saying that ebcause my ghost powers aren't working. It's the fact that the office door won't hold up for long against the super powered Fake-Tucker that's chasing us. It's not just that he's scary-looking and super-fast por anything either, it's that he's catching up to us, and quick! 

"Danny! We're almost the office!" I hear Sam shout. She's the most frightened out of all of us. But I'm pretty scared too. I wonder exactly what she saw before we found her other than that Fake-Tucker...

Speaking of him, Tucker's just in shock of seeing himself chase him. Even now he's looking over his shoulder at himself. It's like looking into a mirror, I guess. Except it's a mirror that shows you your own death. Now that's pretty creepy.

_You've out-done yourself this time, Fright Knight..._

"I know! The door's coming up!" I shouted right back, ignoring my thoughts. Neon lights were placed in the section of the hall where the office was so I knew where we were sort of going. I could see the door. We were almsot there! Finally a light in this darkness!

And it jsut got put out.

From in front of us steered in two little, black-haired girls in white dresses staine din blood. They gigled as they ran head-loiong towards us. Ugh, I hate that giggle. It made them sound insane; maniacal, even. If he didn't know better, he'd say they **_were _**maniacs and insane. But I knew that they were only acting like that to mess around with us. Then again, they were jsut illusions that the Fright Knight was making up to mess with our heads. Okay, no more thinking, this is just getting mnore confusing.

I sped into a stop and held back Sam and Tucker, who wasn't looking. "Where did they come from?" Sam shouted, obviously annoyed now.

"I don't really know," I said truthfully, "but we're surrounded on both sides and there aren't any more hallways to turn into."

"We need to get one of them distracted," Tucker said. "So we can get to the office. At least one of us, anyway."

I had to think fast about this one. We couldn't possibly split up now: there was no guarantee Mikey was even in the office. But we didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. We needed to get in there. Being cornered by F-Tucker and one triplet on one side and the two other triplets on anotehr was not very good seeing as they knew everything we feared. This was not looking good at all.

Tucker and Triplet 1 moved in on us, forcing us to take steps back, finally backing into each other. Then, from an opposing hall (from where one of the tripelts came from) came out anotehr enemy: it was one of the bots, it's leg dragging and moving with fluid movements otherwise. It was advanced technology being controlled by Technus, most likely. It wouldn't be easy to beat.

"Guys, we need a plan," I murmured, looking around as the triplets, robots, and F-Tucker moved in on us.

"We can take 'em," Tucker insisted. I had to resist the urge to smack him in the back of the head. Instead I said, "No way! I'm not leaving you guys behind! It's way too risky! We don't know anything for sure!"

"Danny, you're the only one who could really defeat those two stupid ghosts. It's now or never. If this is really an illusion, we shouldn't get hurt," Sam said. "Not physically, anyway."

I grasped my shoulder where my sleeve was ripped. The bleeding had stopped ebcause of my being half-ghost, but the scar was still there. "I highly doubt that," I admitted. I'd gotten all scratched up by one of those stupid bats.

"Just go!" Sam shouted, alsmot scaring me. "W'ell distract them while you get in there and figure out whetehr or not Mikey's really there! We need out! So go!"

"But-" I started, but thye wouldn't let me finished, instaed, Sam charged towards where the two tripelts and the robot was, pushing the robot down to the ground, sending it off-balance. The two triplets looked back at the wrestling duet and grinned, deciding to go pull on Sam's hair.

My eyes widened, then I turned to Tucker. He'd bolted into a run, charging his elbow into the stomach of his other self. "Take that, Tucker!" he shouted in triumph. But the tripelt that was with the F-Tucker, jumped onto his abck, arm wrapped around his neck.

"Here goes nothing!" I hissed and rushed towards the Main Office door. If Mikey wasn't in there, we were screwed.

I ran towards the door, almost getting tripped by one of the triplets But Sam tugegd at her hair and pulled her right back into the wrestling match. I regained balance and turned the doorknob all different directions until I got it to actually open the door. Inside it was pitch black. My hand searched around for a light switch. Shrilly screams coming from the triplets distracted me for a second, but I ignored it.

My hand touched a small switch and I tried flipping it. No use. The lights were definitely out. "Okay, chnage of plans," I murmured and ran in, looking searching around in the darkness for a desk for the intercom, hoping to somehow get in contact with Mikey: try to get him to distract the Fright Knight and Technus ebcause it sure seemed like he wasn't in here!

I made a grab for the intercom-like silhoutte, then froze upon feeling what it was. That was not an intercom! That was a hand!

A cold, mechanical hand!

My eyes drifted slowly up towards where the full silhouette was. The hand moved and then the figure mvoed forward, a coup. The laughter it amde scared the hell out of me!

"Ah!"

* * *

E/ND: Wouahahaha! 

--Airamé Phantom


	20. Die

A/N: Everyone ('cept one) wants me to continue! So I'll continue!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

Before him was probably one of the freakiest things he'd ever seen. It was a face connected to a head connected to the neck of a whole robot. But it didn't look very robotic anymore. It's eyes glew in the dark like fireflies looming within empty sockets. It's hair was crazily sprouting over a half-rotten head. Skin peeled off and fell in rotten chunks. Danny could smell the rotting flesh as if he'd been hit with a wave of noxious gases. The bot's teeth (which looked fairly real) were rotten as well, yellow and red colored instead of white. Danny didn't want to know what he'd sunk his teeth into. Then came the finally touch: maggots sprouted from it's scalp as if its very brain was a ball opf maggots squirmy and crawling around each otehr, feeding off what's left inside its skull. 

Danny wiped his head of thsoe thoughts and focused on the fact he was touching the hand of a zombie-bot! Its bones, now that the bot's eyes illuminated it lightly, could be seen through raggedy clothes.

"Uwah!" it moaned, smiling its teeth, then scowling as its eyes literally erupted with angry flames. Danny screamed and stumbled backwards away from it as it struggled to stand and chase him.

"Dude, two words, breath-mints!" Danny said. If only he had the courage to back up those words! He'd show him a thing or two about being scary! He did **_not_** have time to be fooling around with this...this...slice of flesh and rotting teeth!

"I can't play with you right now!" Danny said as the monster advanced towards him. His hands amde a grab for anything that was in his reach. And of course, the classic pencil was at hand. Danny grabbed it (along with a stupid eraser he also grabbed) and plunged it deep into the scalp of the zombie kindergartner-style.

Suddenly, another noxious gas began to infiltrate his nose as greenish grime began to spill from the zombie-bot's head. Danny's face contorted at the smell and he pinched his nose shut. "Oh! Gross! What **_is _**that?" he exclaimed. It smelled like sulfur mixed with rotten eggs, mixed with rotting flesh, mixed with...it just stunk badly, okay!

But the zombie-bot didn't care, it reached out towards Danny's neck. And Danny found himself backing into a wall.

Note: this is not good...

"Where are my ghost powers when I need them?" he murmured quietly. He was about to dodge to one side when the darn hand began to crush his throat, pinning him to the wall!

The skin of the stupid bot was rough and uneven. It almost made him want to puke at the feel of it. It was like a mixture of soft and mushy and rough and scratchy and wet. Not a good combination already, but to make it worst, Danny could swear he could feel the fragment of a bone poking at his skin. "Auk...mk...ghu...rrr!" he wheezed incoherently. He didn't know what he was saying, but he didn't really like this feeling eitehr. He could feel the circulation of his blood suddenly stop, feeling the top of his head with a funny prickly feeling. The pressure on his throat hurt his esophagus and wind-pipe, which now became apparent even though he never paid attention in Life Science class.

Danny's hands grasped at the hand around his throat, clawing at the skin and feeling his fingers dig deep into the skin, scratching it away in small chunks, as the hand began to lfit him off the ground a few inches. His thoughts spun out of control as the poking feeling of the fragment of bone in the hand became a piercing kind of feeling, poking through living flesh and drawing blood. Danny felt his own small amount of blood push through the new wound in his neck and wet his neck all the while making him feel way less motivated about this predicament. He began to kick as well as claw.

His eyes rolled up in their sockets and he kicked as hard as he could now that he knew his lungs felt like they were going to burst any moment now. "Sh...s...a...gh...mn..." he half-hissed, half-called.

_This is the end now!_

_I'll never get out of this one!_

_And Sam and Tucker...they'll..._

_they'll..._

_I can't protect them from those stupid monsters!_

_I'm gonna die and then...they're..._

_gonna die too..._

He forced himself to look at the zombie-bots face. But he couldn't even make it out. His vision was completely blurred: like a static-y TV with the pixels of color scattered all around instead of it being black and white dots of light. Danny's eyes closed and he felt the energy leave his hands as they dropped by his sides. His kicks got less and less forceful until they hung limply off the ground too.

Scream.

* * *

E/ND: Hahahaha! I laugh at your suspenseful looks! You guys are so gonna kill me now! Review if you really, really, really want me to up-date tomorrow! Because I gotta focus on my History project! But if you review, I promise I'll take away your suspense and finish my project faster so I can up-date! 

And whoever can tell me what Danny was trying to say (both times he spoke while being choked) gets to be mentioned in the next chappie!

--Airamé Phantom


	21. Let's Hurry

A/N: Well! I finished the basic parts of my history project so I can up-date! WOOT! But as for my question: The first person to get one person right was _**Insubordinance**_ (who said Sam was the second name). The first person to get both names was none other than **_Egyptian Ghost Kitty _**(Who said first name was Tucker and second was Sam)! YAY YOU! Anywho, both got accounts and both got incredible stories/one-shots! I need candy...

**

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

* * *

"Tuck!" a voice shouted to Danny's nearly dead surprise. He couldn't move, could only try to suck in breath but finding that he couldn't. He felt his diaphragm extend over and over again but to no avail on getting air. He felt his chest rise and fall with quick procession, but he still couldn't breathe. All he was aware of was the fact his life was fading and fast as he felt his blood spill from his neck where his throat had been punctured. 

_Gotta..._

_Stay awake..._

His eyes began to fall as shadows and echoes danced in his mind.

_Gotta stay...awake..._

* * *

I was frozen in terror at the sight I'd seen before me the minute I look inside that door. Danny looked pained: teeth clenched and bared, eyes almost shut because of the pressure on his throat. I had to resist the urge to scream and keep screaming until I couldn't scream anymore. So instead I called for Tucker. I don't know why, but once the triplets saw that I was going to fight back, they just ran away: all three of them. 

Tucker, well, he was having a bit of trouble with the bots and the F-Tucker. The F-Tucker just wouldn't give up! He'd just stitch himself back together again and be right back up on his feet ready for another battle! Finally, after what seemed one rousing battle, F-Tucker and the two other bots had taken their leave, and into the shadows they'd gone. It was pretty feirce, my knees still felt weak and my arm still felt like a dozen needles and punctured my shoulder. The Triplets had worked together to try and get me to listen to what they were saying, and boy did they make me listen!

Listen to the crack of my shoulder as they twisted my arm back! I think they're just out to get us: working on what the Fright Knight said, which was to kill us. And they were killing us by using what we both hated and feared. Pain, the darkness, blindness, insanity and perversion. They used all, those darn Triplets did. And I could hear, above my screams of terror, F-Tucker telling the real Tuck how he was going to die. But Tucker kept diving and fighting back. I think the teen's braver than we give him credit for. But me, I was ready to collapse. Only until the Triplets finally take their leave did I feel like I shouldn't have even thought of giving up.

But here I was again, ready to just throw it all away because of this one scene before me. "Tucker!" I screamed again, but charged forward. I should have grabbed something to use as a weapon, but instead I used sheer force before Tucker even took a look into the room.

I was already attacking the stupid zombie-bot. Only when I had him in a headlock did I notice the green grime wetting my arm and the nauseating smell poisoning my mind. But I had nothing else to throw-up in my stomach. I'd seen all that I could see and this was nothing compared to it.

"Sam!" I heard Tucker's voice shout. I was hanging on tight to the zombie-bot's neck, just waiting for something to happen: like his head popping off to him fighting back. But nothing, the bot wouldn't let go of Danny: keeping him pinned to the wall. His head didn't pop off either. The bot only tried to pry my arm from around his throat.

Then I noticed the pencil stuck into it's head and the maggots falling into my hair from his head. I scream, completely disgusted but not intimidated. Anybody would have thought I was just roaring because of Danny. I could see the blood from his throat. I wasn't sure if he was dead or not, but judging from the fact he looked so weak and practically motionless form, he was close to it.

No, I couldn't think like that. Then I saw Tucker's figure come around towards me and beginning to try and pry the hand loose from around Danny's throat. He knew I didn't want his help with the bot, I just wanted Danny safe.

"Let go of him!" I shouted, beginning to get desperate and basically uncontrollable. I didn't even know what I was thinking right then, I just decided to go Mike Tyson on the guy. I didn't care if he smelled like something out of the sewers. I didn't care if he looked particularly disgusting and stomach-tightening.. And I seriously did not care if he got hurt or not!

So I used feral instincts. And what my instincts were telling me was: bite and claw and kick and stab. I couldn't claw because my hands were full. I could kick, but I was afraid I might cause more damage to Danny if I made the bot fall or something. He was already hurt. I didn't have anything to stab him with either, so I did what I had left: bite. And the first thing I had in sight was his ear. Well, you could sort of guess what happened then.

"Ooragh!" the zombie hissed, sounding like a deranged animal. The ear came clean off as my teeth encircled it. And boy, was it the most horrible thing I'd ever tasted. I don't know what meat tastes like, but if it tastes like this, I'm glad I'm recyclo-vegetarian. The minute the object fell into my mouth, I spit it straight out.

I was well aware of the green slime and blood spurting from the side of the bot's head, and the green liquid spewed all over my lips. I spit again, trying to rid my mouth of the taste. Then the bot finally let go of Danny. Tucker kept his friend up, but unable to keep Danny up, fell down to his knees. Danny collapsed like a ragdoll without the hands of a child. I fell backwards onto the floor as the zombie turned on me.

No way was I letting that thing get me now that I risked the life of my taste buds to kick his butt! Now back to normal reflexes and control, I kicked out with my feet, so one leg would be between the bot's and then used a scissors like move, bringing my legs together and then turning onto my side. The bot didn't see it coming and toppled over, knocking it's head on the desk. And there it went, flying through the air. Green slime spilled over the floor as it spurted from both parts of the neck. The desk papers and the desk itself was spewed over with greenish, foul-smelling blood.

But at least the bot was quiet. I started to my feet and rushed towards my two friends. "He's not..." I gulped, seeing Tucker's grave expression. Danny was just lying there, on his lap. He looked relieved and yet...pained all at the same time. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was open a crack. The blood, I saw, was coming from the place I'd expected: a puncture on the front of his neck. But it'd stopped bleeding already: Tucker had tried to wipe some of the blood away so as to try to see the wound more clearly, I guess. "Dead?" I completed after awhile.

"It only puncture his wind pipe, he should be okay," Tucker said. "But we gotta clean the wound else it may get worst than it looks." He took a look around. "Doubt there's anything that can help us here, we may have to go to the Nurse's Office."

He was dead serious: not something that was him when it came to, as he'd said, 'Nurse's Offices, Doctor's Offices, and hospitals, anywhere with sharp pointy things and the smell of sick people.' I nodded.

"It's only a few halls away on the other side of the school. We should get there in no time if there aren't any interruptions," I agreed. I tried to keep the anxiety from showing in my voice, but I think I failed. Miserably.

Tucker looked at me.

"Help me pick him up, let's hurry."

I didn't like the way he said that...

* * *

E/ND: Yes, I just love hurting Danny! But I love him just the same -huggles-  
Danny: Ugh! Get offa me! It's bad enough you tried to kill me!  
me: that was an accident! The shovel was just calling my name!  
Danny: and that's why I hit you with a shovel and a pan every time you squeal over something. Now get off! 

--Airamé Phantom


	22. Sure as Hell

A/N: Up-dateh!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

* * *

Sam and Tucker began to walk out of the Office, making sure to look around to make sure there weren't any more monsters about. They carried Danny between them, his arms around their shoulders. Sam's arm still hung limply at her side though, making it hard for her to keep him up. 

"How's your arm?" Tucker asked.

"I just hope it's not broken," Sam said, trying to smile. But it failed. Tucker gave her a serious look. She sighed and bit her lip. "It hurts like hell, I can move it, but it hurts." Tucker grunted and pushed Danny's arm back onto his shoulder because he was sliding off. He shrugged.

"We should probably speed up, I don't like the idea of being around these halls without something to protect ourselves with. Not to mention the fact our brave captain's out cold and might be in trouble," he said.

Sam had never seen him so serious before: it sort of scared her. Was it because of Danny? Or was it something else? Her thoughts were cut off as a soft groan came from the face next to her. Danny's head was hung down low, his chin touching his chest. Tucker said he wouldn't be able to talk clearly because of where his throat had been punctured, and that it would hurt for him to speak too. But being the way he was, Sam was sure Danny would try to communicate anyway.

Another soft groan wash eard, and Sam paid close attention to Danny's lips. His hair fell over his face and blood still seeped slightly from the wound on his neck, but otherwise the wound was beginning to heal: most likely from his ghost powers. She watched him.

"Nmmmm..." he groaned and then his eyes fluttered open as he tried to come awake. His feet dragged, he was aware oft hat, but who dragged him? He wasn't aware of much anything except the quiet steps that followed him and the warmth of the arms around him from the people who carried him. "Wueiut?" he tried to speak. He winced, one eye squeezing shut. Tucker looked at him now also.

"Don't try to speak," he said sternly. But he knew Danny too well to know that he wouldn't listen to him.

"Wu-eit haippened?" Danny squeaked, his voice airy and breaking. Sam knew it was from the slight pain in his throat, but she responded anyway.

"We came in just in time," she said. Yep, they had. But she'd taken the worst of it. The taste of that zombie-bot's blood still tasted metallic-like in her mouth. The taste had grown worst, but she'd ignored it until now. The blood had been wiped from her mouth, but she still felt disgusted. "But you're hurt. We're going to the nurse's office now."

Danny lifted his glanced slightly and tried to step as well, but his legs felt too weak. "Don't," Tucker said again. "Come on, dude, just take it easy. Don't push it. You may have ghost powers to help you heal, but it won't help the situation if you push it."

"Neioo-oo!" Danny said, trying to pull himself away but to no avail. "We geeotta save Mikey!"

"No! We need to help you first!" Sam said. She kept her hold on him tight, not letting go. "We're not going to let you get yourself more hurt! We know we have to save Mikey and we will! But you come first because if we don't help you, we can't help him. Now settle down and stop making us waste time! We're vulnerable right now, we gotta get into somewhere enclosed."

Danny stops, looks at her. He still can't very much walk by himself, so he says no more. He could feel the pain in his throat increase, but he ignores it. Sam's looking at him so seriously and he could swear he could see tears glittering in her eyes from the neon lights in the hall. He nods once, lowers his glance. Tucker only stares at Sam. That was one of the longest speeches he'd ever heard her say without her even having to stop and say something like "Did I just say that?". And by the way she kept saying 'we' he knew she was referring to him in a way too. They had to keep moving: no time for wasting time now when three maniacal girls were running around with many other robots around them.

"Now, we need to get something we can use as weapons from the Nurse's Office anyway. Without your ghost powers, we're not exactly the best offense. We gotta resort to anything and everything at hand," Sam went on saying. Tucker had been serious, it was about time she got serious too. No more jokes. No more lightening up the moment. This was a serious matter and they had better take it seriously. Or else this would be the end.

And she sure as hell did not want this to be the end.

_I refuse to die here and like this. So sons of a bitch, come and get some..._

* * *

E/ND: Short, yes, but I just wanted Umed to have a job in this story like Emelia and Morathi. I swear, those two got me locked in my insanity room because of this fic! I'm glad you guys love it though! 

But this is about to get serious. And oh, for those of you who have seen the movie 'Red Eye' that's where I got the whole 'Danny's throat gets punctured' thing. :D

--Airamé Phantom


	23. Psychology meet Psychology

A/N: Up-date! WOOT!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

* * *

So far, so good. Except for the occasional echoes, there doesn't seem to be anything to be afraid of so far. I mean, we moving pretty hastily across the halls. Danny can pretty much walk now, but he still doesn't have the strength to keep himself up by himself. If we're attacked now, we're doomed. I so don't want this to be the end! I'm too young to die! 

But I can't be joking around about it either. Life's short, I learned that a while ago from the F-Tucker. The guy's pretty scary because, well, he's me in an alternate form or whatever. But he stills cares me. I scare myself...wow, that's weird. But he was teaching me something only I can teach myself. Okay, I'm freaking myself out. No more talking about him as if her were me even though he is me because he looks like me. But wait. If he's not me and is another person, then who is he? And if he's another person, why does he look like me... God this is confusing!

I shake my head and try to think straight and focus on where we're going. We've passed three halls to the left from the office. So, that means that the Nurse's office should be just around the corner in the up-coming hall. And if it's not, then we're really screwed. I hear whispers, suddenly. I turned towards Sam and Danny, alarmed.

The problem? They're staring right back at me.

"That was not me," I say alarmingly.

"It sure wasn't us," Danny replies. I could tell from his eyes it still hurts to talk, but at least his words are more clear now that before.

"And if it was, then, I think we are going crazy," Sam admitted then. "And they couldn't possibly jsut be coming out now, it'd be way too obvious with that little warning.

"The way Technus and the Fright Knight's minds work, I'd say they've thought that too," I admitted. "So what do we do in case they do attack?" My mind was going into over-drive to try and think of a plan: not something I'm exactly an expert on. It's usually Sam or Danny that come up with the plans, not me.

"We can't run, Danny's in no condition. We can't fight, you're the only one who could withstand that. My arm's pretty useless," Sam said, out-lining msot of their options. "We have no where to run, to make things worst, anyway. They can follow us easily. The Triplets are faster than we give them credit for."

"I...can try to fight," Danny said.

"Face it, Danny, you have to sit this one out if we're-" I started, but he interrupted me. I should have expected that...

"I can't sit out! The last time I sat out of anything was when I failed to get the message to Mikey that we were coming for him. And I almsot got myself killed and you guys in trouble! I shouldn't have gone in there by myself and I shouldn't have left you guys alone!" he says. I blink at him. What the heck was he saying?

"We already went over this," Sam hissed. I know she loves the guy - even if she fails to admit it - but she's right on that one: it's not jsut her opinion. If Danny gets more hurt, he could be in trouble. He's developed a new weak spots. If the phantoms of our nightmares take advantage of that weak spot, they could crush him with one hand tied behind their backs.

"I can't sit out," Danny repeats, and I know that's final. He's tried to pull out of our grasp before, why not try again? Nope, he knows better than that. He'll fall right back down on his butt if he does that. He knows it.

"Danny, you can't be stubborn about this. We need you, remember? To save Mikey? That's the reason we're going to the Nurses Office to get some stuff we might need," Sam continues to say. I think I should keep my mouth shut and let them argue about it. Someone needs to keep an eye out for trouble since they're not paying attention.

"We can't keep fighting them like savages," Danny says. I think he's speaking nonsense: we gotta keep fighting, or run for dear life itself. But they'll catch us and force us to fight.

"We're not going down **_without_** a fight," Sam says incredulously. She can't believe he just said that.

"We need a plan to keep us going without weakening ourselves," Danny explains. "We're gonna fight, alright, just not by force. We're fighting mental to mental in equal power."

"I don't understand," Sam says slowly.

"They're using our fears against us because we're vulnerable to our fears. we're afraid. Usually people say we have to face our fears. At least that's what the movies say. That's way too obvious. Face our fears? Easy-peasy if you ask me. No. There's something we gotta do," he says. "Remember when we went to camp when we were little kids and the teacher told us to lie down on the grass and close our eyes and empty our minds of everything? What did we see, Sam? Tucker?"

"Our worst fears," I find my mouth saying. I can't believe he still remembers that. I'd forgotten all about it. I saw myself. I didn't know why, but I did. I saw myself on a deathbed grinning at myself. It was pretty freaky and I had nightmares afterwards. That was the only real time I was afraid. Terrified, actually. Sam hadn't understood, she'd seen nothing, she'd told us. She'd seen darkness and nothing more. Danny never told us what he saw. He said it wasn't important.

"Ms. Redding died," Danny said. "The way she told she would from what she saw when her eyes were closed. She was scared silly, remember that?"

Sam bites her lower lip. She remembers too, I know. My eyes begin to fall as I remember that too...

**_FLASHBACK:_**

_"Alright kids, now this is just a little mental exercise I want us to do. I've been reading a lot of books and decided to try this with you guys!" a slim, average-heighted adult with red hair said. Her brown eyes swept over the children sitting on the grass. It was a sunny day, with the wind blowing so softly. She smiles as the children stare wide-eyed at her. They never know what to expect with her. "I want you all to lie down with your friends about ten inches apart, okay? Just pick a spot and lie down on your backs as if you're gonna take a nap. Now quickly, quickly!" _

_Three kids, one a girl the other two boys, quickly chose a spot and began to lay down. "What do you think it's gonna be this time?" asked the little girl with black hair up in two pig-tails held by green bands. She sat down next to a dark-skinned boy with glasses. _

_"I don't know," answered her other friend, a fair-skinned boy with freckles on his cheeks and raven black hair with blue eyes matching his blue-lined shirt. _

_"I hope it's not weird," admitted the dark-skinned boy. _

_"That much is guaranteed!" the black-haired girl said. _

_"Quickly!" said the teacher, and they lied down and closed their eyes. They heard her hum something, then they heard someone step near them and say, "Okay, now keep those eyes closed. Empty your mind of everything. Relax. Drip down into your deepest thoughts and those subconscious feelings you have deep inside. Fall deeper down inside yourself. You're reaching a door. There's velvety red carpet on the floor. The doorknob is gold and shiny. You reach for and turn the doorknob. Now, there's an image outside. The wind is blowing softly. You'll be standing somewhere deep within your mind." The teacher began to move away. She herself laid down and closed her eyes as she spoke. "The image seems to magnify and dozens of tiny pixels show up everywhere. All the colors begin to form a picture." Pause. "The picture is a person, an item, or story. It can be...any of those." Pause again. _

_Tucker, the dark-skinned boy, focused hard on this and was still fiddling with the doorknob on the door because it kept sliding away from him. Against his control, he grunted and turned onto his side. Sam squirmed slightly, shifting her position, but staying on her back. Everywhere she looked was darkness. Danny didn't squirm, didn't move, and didn't mumble to himself either. But he looked terrified. He looked confused and terrified all at once. Then, they were all startled awake at the sound of a gasp. Everyone shot straight up into sitting position and stared in the direction of the gasp. _

_The teacher sat there with her legs crossed, hand around her throat, breathing sharply, face covered in cold sweat. Tucker looked at his friends, and Sam and Danny looked right back at him. They'd all seen something that had made them think. _

_Days later, Ms. Redding, the red-headed strange teacher, was found dead in her home. Her house had been destroyed and her throat had been slit. All the valuables in her house had been taken. It was said it was an ordinary robbery and she tried to protect her home and had been killed. But others believe she had doen the damage by herself. Whatever happened, it became known to them that she'd known this was coming from her diary. Doctors announced that she may have been schizophrenic, giving evidence to the theory that she may have done the damage herself. But there was no real proof of that. The murderer was never caught. _

**_:ENDFLASHBACK_**

"You're saying we should use our fears to our advantage?" Sam asked, trying to comprehend.

"No," I say. "He's saying they are our fears."

"They fear what we do," Danny said, looking at me. He nods and looks at Sam. "If we use that against them, they have nothing against us."

"That's crazy," Sam says, then smiles, and I know what she's thinking.

_"Let's do it..."_

* * *

E/ND: Wooahahaha! Psychology versus psychology! Which will win? 

--Airamé Phantom


	24. Guttural

A/N: Know what's funny? This fic was intended to have only ten chapters...

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

* * *

When worst comes to worse, there's only one thing left to do: go with the flow. And that's exactly what the trio planned to do. Go along with what the monsters in their nightmares did. Show them no fear. Use your own fears against them. But Sam still had doubts. She was frightened, she had to admit to herself. She was scared and cold to the bone. But she couldn't let them down, especially not now. She was afraid she might make a mistake and bring the Triplet's wrath down on all of them. But if theyw ere her fears, then they she must be their fear, right? I mean, they always say that animal in your backyard is more afraid of you than you are of it. So, why wouldn't that work now with the Triplets? 

Danny's plan was pretty confusing, and had so many flaws in it, but it was worth a try, and she trusted them. They both did.

She looked at Danny out of the corner of her eye. He looked so exhausted, weary even. Since before it seemed like she was scared silly. She wondered what he'd seen anyway...

_"The last time I saw some familiar faces, they weren't exactly familiar anymore."_

Sam's expression softened and she fought off a small sigh. She looked forward at where thye were going. _Don't worry, Danny. We're almost out of this. We're almost there._

"Stop," Tucker said suddenly. "We're here."

"Finally," Danny said. Sam looked at him again. He'd begun to walk on his own slightly, now only leaning on Sam. Tucker was walking up at front, keeping both an eye out for trouble, and because he was the only one actually fit enough to fight. But at least Sam's arm didn't hurt as much as before. Thinking this, she sub-conscious touched her shoulder. If only Danny's arm wasn't around her shoulders too...

Sam could feel her face turn bright red at the feel of what she'd touched: Danny's hand was now grasped within her own. Her eyes widened and her ears felt hot against the cold air around her.

"Sam?" Danny's voice asked. She turned to him, their faces nearly colliding as he was staring at her too.

"Uhnp!" Sam shouted as their lips touched for the briefest seconds. She stepped suddenly to the side and Danny was jerked forward. "Whoa!" she screamed as she and Danny lost balance again. "Ow..." she groaned as her body touched the ground.

"Agh..." Danny's voice mumbled from above her.

_Oh boy...oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man..._

Danny had fallen on top of her! She gazed at him. She was lying benetah him. He began to sit up, rubbing his head. He was too weak though, and only got so far as propping himself up on one elbow and one hand. His eyes were closed against the pain in his throat. He touched his neck and opened one eye. That's when things got worst. He tried to put on a weak smile, but it failed as his cheeks began to get pink, then red. She could tell the change even in this semi-darkness.

"Uhm..."

"You guys stop messing around!" Tucker hissed then, startling them. They both turned to him, thens truggled to get untangled from each otehr. Danny only sta there on his legs, hand around his neck. Sam stood up to her feet and began to help him up despite her knowing they were both greatly embarrassed.

"Sorry..." she murmured as she helped him. He put his arm around her shoulder and smiled thinly, sheepishly.

The look of anger and humor on Tucker's face alone could have made them laugh. But they couldn't laugh because a certain small giggle caught their attention.

The door to the Nurse's Office was right there in front of them. They were so close. Tucker, Sam, and Danny shared glanced ebfore making their wya to the door, opening it, and walking inside into the darkness.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Someone touched me!"

"Sorry..."

"That's my foot!"

"Hit the ligths and hope for some electricity!"

Tucker searched around, bumping his knee on a side table and searching around for a lamp or a switch on the wall of something. He switched on the lamp, tugging at the little ball-chain.

He braced himself for either a working bulb or a non-working one. To his great surprise and the others, the light went on! They were about to sigh with relief when they took in the sight of what was lying in the bed next to the side table.

They looked towards bed and took in the different sights. Bandages, bloody bandages wrapped around the arm loose4ly. Wounds like deep gashes and many small scratches covvered the ivory-white skin of the victim. The red hair contrasted with the darkness of the illit room. Violet eyes stare back at them with great pain and hatred. A less than dead hand stretches out to them and a deep, throaty sound comes from the wounded's black-grey wrinkled lips as her smudged make-up wear her face down.

Scream.

* * *

E/ND: Ahahaha! Another cliffie! -laughs her butt of at your faces- wouldn't you all like to know who the hell it is, eh? Find out next time in Chapter 25 of 'Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?!' 

--Airamé Phantom


	25. Just Go

A/N: My muses won't leave me alone! GRRR! Too many story ideas in my head! -faints-

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

* * *

Sam mvoed herself and Danny farther to the right, away from the form lying there. "Oh my god!" Sam shouted in pure terror. The suspense filled her whole body, making her feel pins and needles everywhere. But she was more than aware of the form next to her, shaking. She covered her mouth in another reflex to the image and then drew her eyes from the scene to the trembling figure next to her. Danny only stared. 

Stared at the woman before them lying there, looking like a bleeding, living mummy with a bad bandage job. Tucker had stumbled backwards, falling into the bed/cot on the other side of the side-table. But Sam was focused on Danny now. He took in a sharp breath, then anotehr and another. Sam was aware of what was going on now.

"Da...nny," came the dry, raspy voice from the form lying there. Danny tensed as he fought to stay calm. He took in another deep breath and gulped, awaiting whatever response this dead form would tell him. He knew it wasn't real, but it was just too realistic. His lower lip trembled.

"Come here..."

"Danny, don't," Sam warned. She knew he wasn't in his best to deny something like this, but she knew he had to, and so did he. But _**could**_ he? He rose his chin higher, trying hard not to look intimidated. The figure scrunched up her face, making her look more angry than hurt now. Her hand turned to a fist and she bared her teeth and growled a gutteral sounding growl.

"I said come here!" she shouted now, her voice rough and harsh.

"Danny, remember the plan," Sam whispered. She eyed Tucker, who was staring back. His hand was reaching for the drawer where most of the Nurse's equipment was stored. She glanced back at their opponent. She should know how to control her boy, and it sure looked like it was going to work too.

Their opponent was Maddie Fenton.

"Come here," Maddie insisted again. Now that you paid close attention, you could also tell something else about her: the sheets over her were soaked through with dark liquid. And by the way her form seemed to end at her knees, Sam could tell she had no legs. They must have been ripped off or something. Her hands were badly burnt, juging from the redness of the skin. The bandages, however, covered most of the damage, which scared Sam even more. How much more damage could there be. "Please," Maddie begged now.

Danny touched his neck sub-consciously, trying to ignore the command and plea. "We've got to get out of here..." he whispered harshly.

The atmosphere around them turned warm, like a sauna all of a sudden. The light of the lamp began to change color from white/yellow, to reddish-brown. Like dry blood.

"It's too late now, sweetie," Maddie said, her voice growing small and squeak-like. The light suddenly began to fade and Danny's eyes widened as Maddie laughed insanely.

There was the sound of a drawer opening and slamming shut, however, which broke the laughter slightly. But Danny and Sam were too focused on getting out than that. Immediately, they started for the door. Danny struggled with the knob in the darkness. Then, a sudden shout came. "Move it!" Tucker said and Sam moved to one side. Danny came back a few steps (ten) then charged as an approaching figured also went on at the same pace as him. Together, Danny and Tucker knocked the down the door forefully. Tucker nearly fell over, but stopped as he almsot tripped.

He felt as the breath had been knocked out of him, and gasped sharply before rubbing his shoulder. "Ow! Definitely not doing that again," he murmured quietly.

"Let's split and quickly!" Sam shouted, Danny limped silently next to Sam. She glanced at him. "You okay?" she asked.

He nodded, but wouldn't look at her. Her limped, but at least he could stay up on his own. Those ghost powers do come in handly, eh?

"Electric room this way!" Tucker shouted and began to run past the Nurse's Office into the next hall.

"Tucker!" Sam shrieked as he vanished from sight. She heard a struggled shout and then froze in her tracks in chase of Tucker. Her eyes widened. "Tucker!"

This time Danny followed suit in pursuit of Tucker. They stopped as they charged into the next hall. Tucker had been apprehended by none other than F-Tucker. One of F-Tucker's bloody arms was wrapped around Tucker's neck, keeping him in place. Around Tucker were a few pieces of sharp, pointy equipment. Tucker grunted as F-Tuck added pressure to his grip. He grinned at them devillishly.

"Let him go!" Sam shouted.

"I don't want to," F-Tucker said and narrowed his eyes at them.

Tuck squirmed in the ghoul's grip and looked at his friend. The fear was clear in his eyes, but dared not show any otehrwise. "Guys!" the real-Tuck tried to shout, kicking out with his feet at the objects littered on the floor. The items slid across the floor towards Danny and Sam.

Sam grabbed a small knife/scalpel; Danny scooped up a couple of other items. "Tucker..." Sam started.

"Go!" Tucker shouted. F-Tucker squeezed his tighter.

"But-" Sam said.

"Just go! Stick to the plan! I can handle this!" he shouted.

Sam, though reluctant, nodded hastily and left quickly. Danny ran after her, glancing at Tucker and flashing a quick 'good luck' smile ebfore vanishing. Tucker had put on a brave face but now he could definitely show off his slight fear as F-Tuck pushed him against the lockers and pushed his face very near Tucker, still grinning. "What's your little plan?" he asked.

Tucker only stared into those dark- emotionless eyes.

_Like I'd ever tell** you**..._

* * *

E/ND: Yaoi! Omg 0.o... 

--Airamé Phantom


	26. Ring Around the Victims

A/N: Yaoi bad...but my friend Evelyn triple-dog donut dared me to write yaoi! So folks, this is about to give you giggles! (and I changed the genre thingy to humor too because...well...those girls (and possibly some guys) reading out there will be fighting to keep down those giggles!)

**WARNING:** The following chapters after this one may contain graphic violence, your worst fears, psychoanalysis, perversion, and possibly yaoi. Also, do not read if you in a public place where you can embarrass yourself. Please heed warning beneath warning.

**_Warning Beneath Warning:_** Following chapters after this one may be at a mature level. If your mind dwells within the gutter, I suggest you not read any further than this chapter. Heed following warnings in following chapters.

Thank you for your time.

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

* * *

Sam stopped running trying to figure out which way to go. Danny stopped behind her. "We should find a way to get to the Electrical Room," she murmured. 

"The other halls will only make the way longer," Danny reminded. "The shortest way was to go through where Tucker was going until the other guy got him. We got to get there before the others find us. If the F-tuck's out, the others must be close behind." He leaned forward on his knees, resting for a bit after the sudden running and the fright he'd had back there with...his mom. His brow furrowed, giving him the kind of look someone like a father would give to his daughter should he be telling her he was only looking out for her well-being. He stared at Sam's back because she wouldn't turn to him.

"Then we'd better hurry," Sam said. Her voice sounded muffled. Danny's expression softened. He took in a deep breath and stood up straight, coming over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Tuck's gonna be okay. He's hard-headed, but he's the determined kind of knuckle-head. Trust that he can make it, alright. Besides, I've never seen him so serious before." He smiled at her and she tried to smile back, but it soon turne dinto a hardened look. Danny knew she meant business now.

"Let's go."

* * *

Running. We know where we're going but we're not sure how long it'll take us to get there. I just hope we don't get trapped anywhere too soon. The wya to the Electrical room had a bunch of twists and turns ebcause some of the other halls that lead there lead away before they get you to the Electrical Room. So we have to go clear around the whole hall-system t get there. The shortest way was where we'd left Tucker. I hope he's doing okay... 

"Sam, we gotta hurry," Danny calls out suddenly. He's running in front of me. He took the lead once we started off from our little onversation a few minutes ago. we've been running in silence ever since, only the sounds of our footsteps and breathing echoing off the walls. I nod, even though I know he can't see me. I pick up my pace a little.

He's better now, at least. He can walk on his own, **_run _**on his own, and his voice is back to normal too. And he doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. That's one plus from this whole thing. I sigh.

"Where are we coming up to?" I asked.

"Uhm..." he murmurs. For a moment, this frightens me. Please don't tlel me we're lost! "I think the cafeteria's coming up. And if not, the auditorium," he says at last. This brings me a little relief. No matter which comes up first, we're still on track.

"Okay," I whisper, more to myself than him, actually. I'm just glad we're almost there. Just a few more halls, if I remember correctly. But this wya is where most of the strange decorations were put. If I didn't know better, I'd say this was one of the freakiest parts of the whole maze. But from what we've seen, it would feel like heaven to just go in there with-

Giggle.

The sound brings horror to my soul. Just the sound of that terrible giggle makes my heart freeze. If this were a cartoon or something, this would be one of those parts where the scene freezes and becomes inverted in color.

"They're behind us!" I shout in my frenzy. I'm freaking out. No matter what I do, I can't stop myself from shouting out, "Danny, they're behind us!"

"Calm down!" Danny shouts, the voice of reason. "We only have so far to go! They won't catch up!"

Then he stops. I stop right along with him, coming up next to him. And I feel cold all over again. There in front of us are two of the triplets. My breathing becomes harsh, and it hurts my throat with each breath I take. It feels like I'm having some sort of asthma attack. But I don't have asthma. I turn around, trying to figure out why I'd heard the foot steps coming from behind us before.

And there lies my answer.

The giggle I'd heard before had come from the third of the triplets. They had us surrounded. I gulped, and I found that my hand had suddenly grasped Danny's. I didn't mind though, and I'm sure he didn't either, because he gave my hand a squeeze.

"You aren't going anywhere," said the first triplet, her lips drawn into a morbid smile. You could tell from the gleam in her dark eyes that she didn't care whether we died here or not. She just wanted us to suffer.

"We told you you wouldn't get away, Sammy," said the triplet behind us. This was getting to be creepy.

"They're your fears, Sam," Danny said. He gaze was downcast, not looking at much anyone. I bit my lip. What did he want _**me**_ to do? "I'm awaiting your command," he said then.

"Run, Sammy, there's nothing else you can do. Tyke's having fun with your other friend. It's only a matter of time. Give in, you have nowhere to run," the triplets all said in unison.

I didn't know what to do. My head was spinning, I felt nauseated again.

"Come on, Sam," Danny said. "Calm down, think fast."

"We're gonna get ya good, Sammy," said the first triplet."

"Sam, come on!" Danny said now, more urgent. The triplets began to close in on us. I don't know how they planned to kill us, but I was sure they were calculating the perfect way to do it too. Now I really felt sick. The triplets began to sing, making it worst. Danny backed up into me, so we were back to back. Bots that had been accompanying the triplets before now amde their apeparance.

_"Ring around the victims,"_ they sang.

_"Now's the time to kill 'em."_

"Sam!" Danny shouted.

_"There's nowhere to ru-un..."_

I closed my eyes. Danny looked at me over his shoulder. I could feel his hand tighten around my own. He was scared. Hell knew he was scared. He couldn't do anything to help me, and he knew that. The triplets would take no mercy on him. I didn't know their full power, or if they even had power. But I sure didn't want to find out with him as my example.

I opened my eyes again. Gotta clam down. gotta think straight. Gotta think fast. Where can we run? There's no way a scalpel was going to help me. And I'm sure the things Danny got weren't either. This was going to be on me if we got ourselves killed. Now think! Think!

"Aren't gonna get us that easily!" I shouted, and tugged at Danny's hand. Before he knew what I was doing, I was opening the nearest door and pushing him inside. "Get Mikey!" I shouted, and pulled shut the door. There were no bots in there, so he was going on with no interriptions. He helped build that place, he should know the way. But me, I had some things to take care of, and they didn't include Danny.

This was about to get personal.

* * *

"Sam!" I shouted. "Sam what the hecka re you doing! Let me out! I'm not leaving you alone!" I took a few steps abcl, then charged at the door with my shoulder. Nothing but an aching shoulder in return. I glare at the obstacle in my way. 

I can't say I like her quick thinking. I said I wouldn't leave the them alone. I don't want her hurt. I don't any of them hurt.

I sighed and turned around to look at where I was. But I knew she was at least thinking clearly. In her,e there are no bots. But you cna get lsot easily. I sigh again and start walking.

Looks like I got a date.

In the Mirror House Maze.

* * *

E/ND: -choked giggles- **omg...** -giggles like crazy and falls on floor, laughing- **I love cliffies! **

**Now tell me, what kind of fears can mirrors bring to life?** -giggles maniacally-

--Airamé Phantom


	27. Reflections

A/N: Dunno if I'll have yaoi in this chappie...But here goes!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

* * *

"Nice move, Sammy," said one of the triplets as the other two continued to hum the tune of 'Ring Around the Rosies'. 

"You may have saved your friend," they chorused now. "But you won't save yourself. Any last words?"

Sam backed up against the wall now,a dn gulped. Above her was a neon light, drenching the faces of the triplets and their followers in purple light, contrasting with the shadows around them. She grinned and reached to her right, shifting her hand, looking for something. Her other hand grasped the scalpel tightly. "Yeah, actually," she said, finding what she was looking for with her right hand and bringing up her left. The triplets watched her wordlessly. Sam grinned, her gaze downcast, her feet ready to move quickly. With a quick motion of her hand, she jerked her arm upwards at the bulb of the neon light. The sound of glass breaking filled her ears and tiny shards of glass fell into her hair. The lights went out, leaving them in complete darkness. The triplets screamed in surprise and fright. Sam wasted no more than second before pressed a small button on the emergy intercom they'd installed into the wall near the lockers. She pressed the button and said, "Mikey, Danny's coming for you!" hastily and ran from her spot.

"Follow me if you can!" she shouted over her shoulder. Tiny foot steps from behind her erupted as the triplets followed, amd as hell.

_You got one shot at this, Manson! Make it good! We need to give Danny some times!_

_I hope you're okay, Tucker...Danny..._

* * *

Tucker winced as Tyke banged him against the wall of lockers again. He tried to open one eye a crack, squinting at the ghoul before him. His twin, alsmot. Except for the blood leaking from so many places: his head, his ears, his arms, everywhere. He abred his teeth in response to the pain in his back, neck, and shoulders. 

"Afraid, Tuck?" Tyke asked, grinning devillishly at the boy.

"No," Tucker forced out his throat, his voice sounding stern and choked.

"Are you sure I don't even spark the least bit of fear into you?" Tyke asked now. His hand tightened around Tucker's throat, but Tucker only stared at him. His grip wasn't tight enough to choked him yet.

Tucker's hands grasped Tyke's. "Why the hell are you trying to kill me?" he wheezed out his throat, glaring daggers at the ghoul.

Tyke grinned. He leaned forward, and moved his ehad so his lips were nearly touching Tucker's right ear. "Who said anything about wanting to kill you? I just wanna play."

Tucker could feel his acid breath on his ear, sending shivers spiraling down his spine. This guy was crazy! But when the last few words left Tyke's lips, he froze, eyes wide. Tyke pulled himself away and stared Tucker with a mischievous glint in his dark, unfeeling eyes.

"You sick, bastard!" Tucker grunted, trying to kick.

"There's no point in struggling!" Tyke mocked. Tucker contineud to struggle though. He managed to get in a good kick at Tyke's shin, just below the knee. Tyke released him "Gah!" he exclaimed.

Tucker stood there, rubbing his neck. "You wanna play, I'll play!" Tucker said. He staretd to run off in a random direction. "But don't expect me to play fair!"

"You can run, sprout, but you can't hide from me," Tyke murmured, and chased after the teen, into the fading darkness.

* * *

"Okay, Fenton, clam down," Danny murmured as he walked through the house of mirrors. Everywhere he looked were more and more reflections of himself. Some passages even were blocked off by mirrors that were almost transparent. Danny stopped suddenly as realization hit him: Sam's thinking might have been hasty, but at leats he had a good head on ehr shoulders. 

He smiled.

There was a passage from the center of the mirror house that lead into the basement, and straight up a staircase that lead into the Electrical room. They agreed to leave it as an easy access escape should they get caught inside.

"Sam you're a genius," Danny mumbled as he looked around. He almost jumped at the sight of one of the funny house mirrors. It made him look short and stubby at the distance he was standing from it. He could swear his heart skipped a beat at the sight. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, letting the breath he'd been holding out in a rush. He laughed nervous and began to walk forward when...

_BONK!_

Danny walked smack-dab into another mirror blindly. "Ow!" he exclaimed, grasping his face. He rubbed his nose and cursed beneath his breath. "Damn mir-" he started, but stopped suddenly. In front of him was a regular mirror. Except, everything was way too normal about it.

"Where's my...reflection..." Danny whispered. He stared at the mirror weirdly. It suddenly felt a crappy Dracula movie. But the problem now was that the mirrors could play just as many tricks on him as the bots.

Danny touched the glass, staring idly it's way. "I hope this doesn't mean anything..." he whispered.

"It means more than you can imagine," said a deep, older-sounding voice. Danny's insides turned ice cold and his eyes widened. He knew that voice...

_"No way..."_

* * *

E/N: **Woouahahahaha! A cliffie! my favorite type of ending, if I do say so myself! I think we can all guess who the person who produced that voice is** -grin-** until next time.** -screams and fades, imitating Vlad in 'Bitter Reunions'- 

--Airamé Phantom


	28. Run, Sammy, Run

A/N: Yaoi...yaoi...how can I write yaoi? I'm the one with the clean mind in the group! -eye twitch-

Must Write Yaoi In Next Chapter

**

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**

**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

* * *

"You can't catch me!" Sam shouted over her shoulder as she turned to her right into the next hall. Her breathing became heavy, her legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. "This is enough exercise for the week," she murmured, looking over her shoulder. The triplets were far behind, but they were catching up. She turned back around and looked at the closest neon light coming up. Jumping slightly, she grabbed hold of the tube-shaped lamp. She pulled it down. 

_It'll leave them in darkness but let me see, _she thought as she turned yet another hall. _Okay, Sammy, this is it. Your final stop. It's now or never, and it had better be now!_

She knew very well she was leading herself into a dead end. She sped up, nearly stumbling and falling. No bots around yet. She looked over her shoulder again. The triplets were no where in sight. Sam grinned as she kept running. She looked at the neon light in her hand. She looked back up and rounded another corner. Here goes nothing! She stopped at the end of the hall where she was enclosed except on one side. She slipped off her boots and threw them off to one side.

From a distance, she heard the small steps of the triplets coming her way. She took the ends of the neon lamp one in each hand. Sam took a deep breath and waited until the triplets were before her. She rose her chin high and waited for them. Just for a little more effect, she put on a smug smile. "About time you caught up," she sneered.

"What game are you play, Sammy?" the first triplet asked.

"I'm not playing any games," Sam said.

"Why are you joking?" asked the second. "We can smell your fear."

"Are you sure it's my fear?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean?" they chorused, obviously getting annoyed. Sam's eyes narrowed.

"It's okay to be afraid," she said. "Afraid of that around you." She rose the lamp high above her head. The triplets froze. What...the...

Sam brought the baton-shaped lamp down hard onto her knee. It broke into shiny shards of glass, spilling them all over the floor. Now they were all in complete darkness. Sam couldn't even make out the triplet's shapes. She slipped something out of her right sock now.

"Where are you?" asked a triplet. Sam gathed up all the glass into a neat row. The glass and thin pieces of metal were sharp, she knew this was going to be a pretty painful, but she'd seen dozens of people do it, why couldn't she?

"Afraid to be alone?" Sam's voice rang. She readied herself. "I'm right here," she said, snapping the small, thin, plactic stick in her hand. She hooked the glo-stick onto her shirt and smiled a sinister smile as the triplets came back into sight. "I'm not running away anymore."

"What are you planning?" asked a triplet.

"I told you I'm not gonna do anything," Sam said. "I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid. But I know you're afraid."

"We're not scared!" shouted the third triplet in a little voice. Sam grinned and began walking forward. Wince. She fought to keep her smile. To her surprise, it hardly hurt anymore as she took more steps.

"What are you doing?" shouted a triplet in terror.

"Pain is nothing," Sam said. Her feet were real numb now. The pain was nothing. She narrowed her eyes at the tripelts as she walked across the glass and shards. She was aware of the blood creeping through her purple stockings. She stood at the end of the line of glass. She bowed, her eyes twinkling with mischeif. The triplets were hugging each other, frightened at the sight. Blood covered and gleamed off the shards from the light of the glo-stick Sam had.

"The darkness can be overcome, and the loneliness cast away," she whispered. "I know who you are. I know that you're all here to get me to lose my head and run as fast as I can to get away despite the lives of my friends. No more. Pain, Loneliness, and Darkness, those are your names, aren't they?"

The triplets let go of each other. She'd figured it out. They were her, in a sense. Different versions for different fears. The reason she'd seen nothing when she closed her eyes. The reasons why her dreams were blank and forgotten.

"You've figured it out," the triplets whispered in unison. Sam looked on as the forms of the two triplets standing either side of the second one began to shift formed, turning into simple bots.

Tiny sparks flew from the bot's necks and they collapsed into broken machinery. Only one tripelts stood there now, her face drawn into a pout.

She smiled. "Good job, Sammy," she said. "But are you in time to save your friends?"

Sam's eyes widened.

"You may have been able to save yourself. But the clock is still ticking on them. You've always been their darker friend. I never should have underestimated you. They'll need your help."

Sam took a step back.

_"Run, Sammy. Run."_

* * *

E/N: Okay, so this chappie sucked! The whole face your fears thing is weird, so I decided to use psychology. Umed is having a lot of fun with this. And Morathi's mad. 

--Airamé Phantom


	29. I hate French Fries

A/N: Thank you Axel (**_Insubordinance _**if you wanna read her fics!) For helping me with ideas for this chappie!

Tucker, you're about to meet your DOOM!

WARNING: I hope you heeded the previous warning a few chapters back. You have been caught in my spell and now cannot escape. I hope you've written your will, for your giggles with choke your breathing and you will eventually die. Also, after letting previous readers revise the chapter (my brother) we have also found that certain things like high blood pressure, migraines, and the aching of stomach muscles may result from your reading this.

Read at your own risk.

Thank you for your time.

**

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

* * *

"You can't run from me, Tuck," Tyke shouted. He grinned as he chased Tucker. "I'm always going to be there as your haunting buddy, Tyke Mervin." 

Tyke. Tucker felt his heart freeze at the name. Tyke Mervin, his best friend from pre-school? He stared over his shoulder at the running form. The darkness shifted to a light zone where a neon light shone. He snapped a mental picture of the supposed 'Tyke' chasing him and gasped.

That smirk and those dark pupilless eyes were easily recognizeable as those of his friend. He narrowed his eyes at the fiend. How dare he bring up that name?

_Tyke Mervin,_ Tucker thought as he turned back around, ignoring the chasing foe for a bit. _Haven't heard that name in years..._

**_FLASHBACK: _**

_"Oh, come on, Tuck! We're just gonna have a little fun!" shouted a boyish voice. The dark-skinned boy it came from was no larger than a five-year-old. And in truth, he was just that, a five-year-old. His dark, extremely curly, black hair was cut short to his head. His brown eyes glistened with slight mischief. His grin held a boyish charm girls just drooled over. Older girls melted in front of that boyish grin. His name was Tyke Melvin._

_The person he was talking to had on a red baseball cap. His eyes were a sweet mixture of aqua-marine. He had Timberland boots and dark green cargo shorts with a khaki colored long sleeve shirt. "I dunno," Tucker said. "It's the older kids' class, and they have a whole bunch of glass stuff. What if we break something?"_

_"We won't break anything!" said Tyke. "I just wanna know what all those chemicals do! My sister says they mix them together to make clouds and stuff!"_

_"But your sister is fifteen! She knows what she's doing!" Tucker objected. _

_"Fien then!" Tyke finally said, frowning. "I'll go alone!"_

_With that, Tyke charged down the halls of the High shcool. The door to the Science Lab had been elft open when the etacher wlaked out for a second. Tucker watched as the boy disappeared inside, closing the door. He nibbled his lwoer lip, waiting and tapping his foot. He didn't like this, didn't like it at all._

_He waited for what seemed about ten minutes,a dn still no Tyke. "Tyke! I don't think that's a good idea!" Tucker shouted, nearing the door. He didn't get a response. "Tyke?" The sound of glass breaking, a scream, and something dropping. "Tyke?!" he shouted louder this time. He began to panic, eharing no response still. He tried to open the door, but Tyke had locked it! He pounded on the door with his fists, simultaneously shouting, "Tyke!"_

_From down the hall came the teacher, running towards the shouts. "What's going on?" he shouted. "What are you doing there?"_

_Now Tucker was near tears, still pounding and crying out. Before any of them could open the door however, there was the sound of more glass break. The teacher, an elderly man with a head of white hair and glasses atop him nose, dug in his pockets for some keys. He struggled with finding the correct key, while Tucker finally found that tears were spilling down his cheeks. His friend was in trouble! "Tyke!" he shouted again, his voice high and shrilly. "Move aside, boy!" shouted the teacher, pushing him off. A couple of parents from the Open House started to creep towards the place. _

_And finally, the knob began to feel hot. The door became warm, and from inside, they could hear the pitts of hell come to life. From the look on the teacher's face and by the fact he backing away, Tucker knew it was too late. _

_The rest of that night was filled with the sounds of sirens and the sounds of tears and sobs. People asking questions too. _

_Obviously, it was too late by the time the firefighters had come. Most of the chemicals inside the lab were not extremely dangerous, but caused mini explosions and were flamable. But Tyke didn't die from the flames all that much, when they found his carcass - it nearly made to ashes - dozens of staples were found on his face. A staple gun was found on the floor, the type used for wood. They concluded he died from the pain before anything else, then if he didn't die then, it may have been from the noxious gases of the chemical-filled beakers he broke - thus the breaking of glass Tucker had heard. _

_**:END FLASHBACK**_

It was then that he started fearing his own death, staretd dreaming Tyke's own. And now with this guy after him, he wished he'd never gone to camp at all, where the truth had been reveal to him. That he feared death, that he feared getting to joined with a friend because he feared their death.

The revelation was too much, he ran on blindly, trying to keep the tears from his eyes.

_Come on, Tuck!_ he thought._ Get a hold of yourself! Focus on where you're going before-_

"You make a dreadful mistake," he murmured aloud as he cleared his eyes from oncomming tears and looked at where he was now. A dead end. Just what he needed.

He stopped in front of the wall, as if wishing it would vanish and allow him entry. "A dead end," Tyke said from behind him, his voice dry and hoarse. His eyes seemed to pierce right through Tucker as he abcked up against the wall, trying to squeeze back as far as he could until he didn't exist. He watched Tyke with a scowl, teeth clenched, eyes wet from tears.

"I don't know what you want, Tyek," he said, voice beginning to break. "But you're not going to keep me away from stopping you and the Fright Knight! Or whoever the hell it is making this stupid illusion!"

Tyke closed in, taking slow, agonizing steps towards Tucker. But the agony was not Tyke's, it was Tuck's.

"You will not escape even if your friends and you succeed in making waste with this world," Tyke said. "You will not be able to escape me nor the truth." Tucker's hand pressed hard against the wall, him feeling as if his wrist would pop off any minute now. He wouldn't be surprised if it did, either. His breathing became gruff as Tyke neared him all the way.

"You are mine, now and forever," he whispered to him, closing in completely. The distance between their faces was no more than an inch or so. Tyke smiled sickly. That smile that used to melt the hearts of girls everywhere in school of all ages. Tucker was forced to stare into those dark, lifeless eyes as Tyke seemed to only stretched out the seconds for his own entertainment. "No matter where you go, no matter where you tried to hide. I will be there," he said. With one of his hands, he cupped Tucker's chin. His eyes half closed, his voice became a simple rush of air with tone and sound. "You cannot escape me."

Tucker only stared. He could feel his whole body trembling benetah anger and fear. Danny's plan was to use his fears against Tyke. How could he possibly do that? When he knew what he feared and could not even take in allt hat was happening now? He couldn't control hismelf at all, he could only stare and hold the tears in. He could only pray silently that Danny or Sam would reach Mikey and stab that stupid sword into a stupid pumkin. He could only hope for the end before Tyke showed him what his end would be like before it happened.

Tkye smiled at the boy. His teeth were stained and his breath smelled of rotting flesh and ash, a smell Tucker did not ever want to smell again. Tyke turned his face to one side and whispered into his ear, "You're friends will fail, and it will be your fault."

Tucker's eyes could not have been widened any more without having his eye balls fall out of their sockets. Tyke allowed him control - some, at least - and Tucker turned abck to him. "And you will watch them fall, like you watched me."

"I tried to stop you," Tucker said, eyes welling up with etars again. "I tried to change your mind."

"And you allowed me to make a foolish decision," Tyke said. "It was your fault, and you must live with that thought forever in your mind."

Tucker squeezed his eyes shut, bent on trying to move away from Tyke. He bit his lower lip, trying to keep the etars form falling anymore.

"Don't turn away from me," Tyke said sternly, grabbing hold of Tucker's neck, forcing the boy to open his eyes and look at him. If there was any distance between their two bodies before, it was now 0 inches. Tucker felt Tyke press up against him. Tucker's teeth bared. "Don't ever turn away from me." Tyke's voice became breathless as he closed in the inch separating their faces. Tucker didn't move, didn't do anything. His whole nervous system seemed to shut down on him, only allowing him to see and feel a cold sensation fill his entire body and cold, dead lips pressed against his own. Tyke's lashes fell closed as he pressed himself closer to Tucker, his hand leaving the boy's throat and now positioning itself on his shoulder. His other hand also pinned the living teen to the wall so he could not escape.

Tucker felt disgusted. The smell of the dead ghoul's rotting features sickened him, but he could not move. His fingers twitched and his mind raced so qucikly he didn't udnerstand what he was thinking at all. His brows furrowed as he tried hard to make his reflexes kick in and quickly. But soon enough, the tears began to flow again as the kiss progressed. Tyke bit at his lower lip, allowing a short breath before it resumed in a more passionate kind of way. Tucker, though hating this, gave in. _This was it,_ he told himself. _You're gonna die here, and there's nothing you can do about it..._

His brow relaxed and his eyes stayed closed as it continued. The french kiss he wished to have with a girl, not his dead friend who looked like him with staples drilled into his head. Tyke's tongue lashed at his own, leaving the dreaded taste of death on his taste buds. Finally, as he began to lead into another breath, his mind switched back to normal. _No! This won't end like this! Danny said to face your fears! You know what they are! Use them! Remember what Jazz always told you! Hell! Rememebr what your momma always told you!_

Tucker's eyes snapped open as realization struck. This was his chance. He dug deep into his pocket with shakey hands and reveal a small scalpel he'd stolen from the Nurse's Office.

Memories flooded through his mind about the 'sharp, pointy things' he was about to use for this. As Tyke separated from him for the slighets second, Tucker's lip curcled inwards in disgust. "Sorry, Tyke," he said bretahlessly, chets heaving. "But you're first kiss is over." Tyke's eyes widened and Tucker, with all his might, drilled the scalpel into the neck of his opponent.

"You fucking-" Tyke started, as blood spilled from the area in the back of his neck. Tucker ran off to one side, still tyring to keep with all that had happened. But instead, he pushed to the farthest corner of his mind and tried to ignore it. He spit, wiping his mouth as Tyke fell to his knees and took out the small knife, staring at it. He looked at Tucker, body racking fiercely. And he smiled. "You done well, Tuck. You done well," the voice was the voice of a small five-year-old.

The voice Tucker hadn't heard in years.

And with that, Tyke's form shifted to that of a simple robot with oil instead of blood. Sparks flew, and it was over. Tucker couldn't resist sighing with relief.

_The night's almost over,_ he told himself. He looked off out of the corner of his eye. They'd palced cameras in every dead end hall. If Mikey was watching, this was his chance to say hello. He looked at the small black device in the corner, and waved. _Danny, _he thought,_ you'd better make this worthwhile._

* * *

E/N: And yaoi was made possible by the help of Insubordinance! Morathi is once again happy and Emelia's disgusted... Morathi is a psychopathic lunatic who likes to make speeches and deserves to be in a suit. He's my muse. Emelia is my muse of romance, suspense, horror, and macabre. She's also a smart alleck.

Umed: How come they get descriptions!?

--Airamé Phantom


	30. Fear a Fear Itself

A/N: Okay, so giggles didn't rise high in the last chappie! Whatever, I tried my best! 

But, in case your wondering, this chappie may only be graphic, contain some perversion, and a bit of angsty goodness. Also, it may have a cheesy part in it too.

Sorry I have no up-dated for a couple of ...whoa! months?!?!?! Homework and school stuff, plus the fact I gotta start enrolling in as many high schools as possible, has really messed up my schedule!

My time is completely taken up, I'm sorry if up-dating is slow!

Well, here goes!

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**Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out?**

**Chapter Thirty**

* * *

"Darn those pests!" shouted an angry voice. 

I don't know who exactly he is, but I do know he calls himself the Fright Knight. I think I've seen him somewhere, during Halloween last year. But it'd be way too much coincidence for him to show up again, seeking revenge on Fenton and his dumb friends. And besides, why would I be in the line of fire?

I hate those guys! They think they know everything, especially that Manson girl. She thinks so highly of herself, so secure and independent. And that Tucker guy, thinking he's so smart and stuff. He cant even beat me at a simple Bot-Out. And that Fenton guy: always acting as if he's hiding something. So mysterious. The girls just love him. But does he notice? No. He's too oblivious. Those girls in Chess Club, especially Georgia: the most beautiful girl in the world. Even she fell for him! She's asked me a few times, seeing as he and I used to speak to each other, if he "likes brunettes." How the hell should I know?! Why should I even care!? It just gets me so mad!

I look back up at the two ghosts or whatever they were trying to control all the robots, the one with the long white hair doing most of the work. The purple-fire guy was just managing the cameras. I pursed my lips. As muhc as I hate those three geeks, they're my only chance after all. I'd snuck them a message quite awhile ago: they seemed to know who these two were which was even betetr for me. They must have been through a lot while we hadn't contacted each other. And then afterwards Sam had sent me a message through the emergency intercom...it echoing off all the walls until reaching the speakers in here, the electrical room. If Danny was coming for me, I hoped he didn't get interrupted or hurt.

Wait...

Why am I worrying about them!? I'm the one about to die here! Well, maybe not die, per say, but I was in trouble if they didn't get me out!

I tugged at the rope binding my hands. my hands hadn't been tied ebfore, but once Techno or whatever his name is found out I'd snuck a message, they'd tied me up. Tied me up good. I frowned. _Come on, you three, for once I'm actually counting on you..._

* * *

Danny stared at his older self, really not surprised anymore. How could he expect any less? Of course he'd be part of the illution. But wait... 

He frowned. "How are you standing there, there aren't any bots in here!" he exclaimed, taking a step back. His older-self grinned malaciously.

"I'm not here," Dan said wickedly, his form beginning to become transparent. "I'm jsut a friction of your imagination." Finally, he vanished completely, leaving behind only a cracked mirror.

Danny stared at his own reflection now, jagged and strange in the cracked fractions. "The mirrors," he whispered, eyes wide. His pupils grew smaller at the thought. "The mirrors are how you're here."

"Exactly," said the deep, resonating voice. "You're smarer than I give ou credit for..."

Danny shook his head and clenched his hands into fists. He scowled, eyes angry. "I'm not afraid of you Dan!" he shouted out into the air. Then, before him, the mirror began to make sick snapping sounds. Danny blinked, took a step back, and his eyes widened. Tiny, jagged lines began to spread across the mirror's reflecting surface even more until finally it seemed to explode, the shards being shot out in front of him.

Time seemed to slow down into centuries instead of seconds. Within that slowed time, Danny saw the paths the glass was taking, the actual air being slashed through as whistling sounds were made by the sharp shards. And in one of those larger pieces, a quick reflection of his frightened, blue eyes, wide with terror.

Finally time sped up again and he brought his arms up in defense form the shards and was blown back by the now defeaning blast of air and cracking glass. He hit hard onto anotehr mirror, cracking it as well. He groaned as he slid to the ground, arms aching from dozens of cuts and slashes from the shards. But one particular wound came from near his elbow. He winced, opening only one eye and staring at the three-inch by 1 centimeter glass shar sticking what looked like an inch into the joint of his elbow, the pain blinding as he tried to take out the sharp piece. He gasped as it came loose, blood staining an inch of it where it'd stuck into his skin. He breathed in deeply, putting on a brave face as he covered the wound with his otehr hand and tried to stand.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, broke a mirror, there," called Dan's voice. "That's seven years bad luck."

"I don't believe in luck," he groaned, unsteady on his feet.

"Aw, that's too bad," Dan said. "Oh, and as for your last comment. I'm not here as your number one fear, Danny."

A sharp electric bolt seemed to almost electrocute Danny's thoughts as Dan's words registered in his mind.

He stumbled, eyes wide. But it wasn't because of the pain in his elbow anymore that he couldn't keep his balance. What really set him off was that his wound on his elbow had alreayd healed, leaving behind an unnoticebly scare. He blinked, then stood up straight. As if by instinct, his hand reached up to touch his neck. The wound had healed as well, but what was weirder was that the blood form the wound was gone. His skin was clean. Danny looked down at the hems of his pants where Jazz had wrapped her ashened, bloody hands to pull herself up. The blood was gone as well.

And now thinking back, neither Sam nor Tucker was stained with blood or anything of the sort either. Their clothes were clean. Whatever wounds they'd acquired had been healed. But the process had happened so suddenly, he hadn't taken any note of it. It had just...happened.

He blinked.

"Taking notice?" asked Dan's voice, and Danny's glance immediately shot up and around him.

"What the hell is this, Dan?!" he shouted, frustrated. Sickening laughter filled his ears, and his eyes shifted about trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. "What kind of stupid game are you playing?!"

"Now, now," Dan's voice said, as if he were speaking to a young child. "If I told you the secret of this game, then it wouldn't be much fun, now would?"

Danny would practically hear the wicked grin in that voice. "I don't have time for this," he groaned, and started off in the direction towards where he thought the passage to the basement was. But as if on cue, as he neared a corner in the maze path, Dan appeared in a mirror in front of him, causing Danny to skid to a stop. "Fine, I'll tell you the basig gist of it, sweet Danny boy," he said tauntingly, a smug look in his eyes. Danny's teeth clenched and he felt a cold sensation take him over, making him shiver. That tone was not one he liekd at all.

"This dimension is made so you can suffer. From your fears no doubt," Dan said. "And your fear, my boy, is the most fun of any."

"What," Danny spat. "You gonna show me visions of my family dying, is that it? Listen, Dan, no matter what you do, I'm not going to-"

"Your family?" Dan asked, putting on a geniunely surprised face. "Who said anything about them?"

Danny furrowed his eye brows in confusion, beginning to say something, but stopping when Dan's expression changed. "No, Danny. I'm talking about you," he said. "You're inner-most fear. Do you know what that is?"

Danny's gaze shifted to the ground, trying to think clearly. If it wasn't his family dying as he had originally thought, then why was Jazz, Sam, and his mom all dead in the visions and illusions brought to him? Why had they all appeared to him in such a fashion. "No..." he whispered before he even knew he was doing so."

"I'll give you a clue," Dan said smugly. Danny looked at him, putting on a brave face and bracing himself for anything. Dan smirked.

_"In here, I can kill you in the most painful ways imaginable as many times as I wish."_

* * *

E/N: A strange clue? A strange feaR? A strange chapter? All excellent opinions, but what truly is Danny's feaR? Why had those illusions been what they were and why does this make any difference in how he will stand up to them? Find out in the next chapter of: Who's Not Letting the Ghouls Out? 

--Airamé Phantom


End file.
